The Return to Gravity Falls
by EZB
Summary: A lot can change in three years. After hearing grim news about their Grunkle Stan, the Pines twins are motivated to return to small town in Oregon where nothing is what it seems. Adventure awaits at every turn as fifteen year old Dipper and Mabel begin yet another summer in the mysterious region of Gravity Falls.
1. Prologue

"When people ask me 'How was your summer' or 'What did you do this summer', I'll be honest, I don't know what to tell them. The closest I have to say is 'I had the privilege to have the most exciting summer of my life with my grand uncle in Oregon'. Now, I now what you might be thinking- 'How is that exciting? Sounds like any other boring family trip', right? Well, you'd be wrong. I was lucky; lucky just being there this summer, seeing things that no one else has seen in their lives, fighting for truth and justice, and even falling in love."

The author, a twelve year old boy sitting in front of his computer in his room, leaned back from reading the first paragraph he had written, and shook his head. He sighed as he looked to the screen.

"It sounds conceited," Dipper Pines groaned as he instantly deleted the entire paragraph without hesitation. "Just when I thought that sixth grade was demeaning, seventh comes in for the wind up: aaand it's more stupid 'how was your summer' work."

Dipper Pines was a boy of twelve. He wasn't exactly tall for his age, but he wouldn't let people talk him down from being at least average height. He was right in the middle of standard young teen image, but lacked any physical finesse. His brown curly hair tucked under his hat, a blue and white colored baseball cap he got while at his stay with his uncle.

The young Pine had not been home from school for an hour when he decided he would begin writing his assignment from today. Habit prompted him to begin the work as soon as possible, and despite being a 'lame topic', he found himself slaving away before a monitor light lit keyboard in his dark room.

Summer had come and gone. What he could only describe as the greatest time of his entire twelve years of life were over. Battles against zombies, assisting mermen escape pools, and a conspiracy for the ages tied together intriguingly to his fondest memories. Now, back in his home town, life was grey and flat by a long shot comparison. He even wondered if the normal people in Piedmont had secrets at all, let alone conspiracies. This life was totally dull, and he felt each hour pass turn him towards lethargy.

As he dazed about the weeks before, a sudden shout from below in his home shook the floor. He turned looking to the door, where he knew a hallway connected to an overlook to the living room and staircase. Dipper frowned worriedly, thinking as to what topic the shouts from below could be. He shook his head.

"It... isn't my business," he repeated to himself for the third time that evening. He turned from his computer, seeing a single framed picture on the desk. There, looking at him was his 'Grunkle Stan', himself, and of course-

"DIPPERSAUCE!" a girl shouted as she nearly kicked in the door, splashing light into the room.

"Mabel?"

"Yes, lord of dark bedrooms, Dipper the sullen," Mabel snickered as she skipped into his room and leapt onto his bed. She wore her favorite purple sweater with and shooting star with a rainbow trailing behind it.

"Hey, don't-"

"Don't what?" she grinned, and kicked her shoes off on his bed. She was the twin of Dipper Pines, physically. Barely a millimeter taller than her brother, she was endlessly energetic and bouncy, incapable of the phrase 'calm down'.

"C'mon, Mabel," Dipper groaned," you sweat like twice as much as me on your feet."

"All the fun I make creates fun-residue. Your bed could use some!" she told him as her braces shined from the light from the hallway, smiling cheekily at her brother. He rolled his eyes and turned back to the computer. "What are you doing on the computer already? Don't you want to... like, search for a gnome or something? I think our neighbor's garden gnomes are spies. Maybe they're connected with Jeff... agents of stealth, in our neighbors backyards..." Mabel added in a serious undertone, looking at the blinds-covered window.

"I have homework," Dipper told her with authority.

"Whaaat?" she exclaimed, flipping herself to be upside down, dangling off his bed," since when do you get homework the first day of class?"

"Since now; since seventh grade. You do too you know," he turned in his chair to remind her," and you won't be able to get me to write this one for you."

"Boo!" she stuck out her tongue at him, and quickly fell off the bed and flat onto the floor. "Your carpet smells like hurt."

"It would, since you jammed into it nose-first. Mabel," Dipper fully faced her in his chair," come on, you need to do your work too." Mabel rolled around on his carpet, seeming to ignore his words. After a few rolls back and forth, Dipper asked," and... what exactly are you trying to accomplish?"

"Enough static to singe your hair?" she asked, stopping briefly to plead innocent.

"I doubt you're going to zap anything. Probably can't generate enough for even a small discharge," Dipper laid the trap. Mabel was only too eager to prove him wrong. On cue, Mabel poker her cheek and winced as she was quickly zapped.

"OW! Dang braces," she rubber her cheek as Dipper laughed at her," C'mon, its boring here," Mabel rolled her eyes, trying to get Dipper to change his stance.

"It's boring out there too," Dipper told her," this isn't like Gravity Falls- we're in a normal town with normal people now. I think the most exciting thing is one of our neighbors speaks Portuguese. What... what is there to do out there that's exciting, exactly?"

"We can stare at squirrels!" Mabel told him," Make them feel like they're being watched."

"And why would that be a good idea?" Dipper asked after a moment to stare at her.

"It's only fair we return the favor," Mabel muttered, danger lurking in her every word. Dipper spun away from her, not enthused about her ideas of fun. "Oh, c'mon bro!"

"Why are you so desperate? Just do your work; it'll get itself done quickly if you just set yourself to it. And don't say you can't, I know you can!" Dipper said from facing his now blank document.

"I... I can't focus," She said.

"Why not?" Dipper asked in frustration.

"It's loud downstairs," Mabel quietly said. The tone and volume shook Dipper to the core. He knew that voice too well, and spun quickly to look at her. She was looking to the still ajar door, her eyes sad and distant in her thoughts.

"What... what is it?" Dipper asked caringly, getting off his chair and sitting next to her.

"They're being loud again... I heard what they're talking about, Dip," Mabel said, positively dead in her voice.

"You- but- they...it's not our business, right?" Dipper stated aloud. Dipper watched his sister almost cringe, and looked away from the door, and spin away from her twin brother. "Hey, it can't be that bad, right?"

Mabel had turned entirely away from her twin, wrapping her arms around her legs, and tucking herself deep in her sweater. Dipper was truly concerned with her now, and first got up to close the door. Once it closed, he walked to have his back against the bed frame, and slid down to face Mabel.

"What did you hear?" he asked her gently.

"I don't want to talk about it. Let's just leave the house and go make our own adventures, okay? Let's go find something stupid to make fun of!" Mabel asked desperately. Dipper shook his head. "Why not?!"

"This isn't like we can run to Grunkle Stan for this. This is home, and it'll wait for us here, whatever it is. Mabel," Dipper tried again, stronger, but still maintaining his tenderness," what did you hear?"

A rumble of voices, familiar to the two of them shook the floor. Dipper gasped and glanced at the door, shocked at the escalation it was getting to.

"I..." Mabel said, her voice mildly shaking," I think mom and dad are going to break up."

Dipper heard her and could not comprehend an appropriate response. He was one of the better thinkers of his year in school, and all the evidence that he had accumulated pointed to Mabel's thought. Their mom and dad, since the moment they came to pick them up at the bus stop, had an air of strain hovering over them. Dipper had discounted for the sake of not seeing them for three months.

Then the arguments began. They were subtle at first, but grew stronger and more personal each time. Dipper, in the two weeks they had been back had locked himself in his room to avoid the dangers below. Mabel had tried, forever the optimist, weathering the storm. Dipper wasn't sure anymore if their parents got along that much. He even wondered if they had been shipped to Grunkle Stans' for the pure reason to avoid possible problems and seeing the parents argue through the summer. He almost wanted to ask Stan if he knew anything about this.

Another burst of sound echoed to their position, in the dark room. Mabel whimpered sadly as she lowered her head slowly. Dipper looked to his sister, unsure of what to say.

"You... I think you may be right," Dipper could only manage.

"They can't!" Mabel looked up, tears in her eyes as she shouted at her brother. "This is supposed to be a happy family!"

"Mabel, quiet down! They could hear-" Dipper tried saying quickly, but she slammed her fist against the floor.

"What's going to happen to us if mom and dad split, huh!?" She demanded to her brother, who was agape without a clue.

"I don't know anything about that! I never wanted to know anything about divorce law!" Dipper said with more strength and volume. "I don't know."

"This isn't FAIR!" Mabel stood up, and charged for the door. "We should be coming back home to a happy family!"

"Wait, MABEL!" Dipper called after her as she stormed out, crying uncontrollably. He sat there, alone on his carpet and at a loss to thought. His fears, collecting with the thoughts of his sisters pain, left a gaping hole in his chest that he couldn't avoid anymore. His life here, home, his family, it could change for the worse.

"Hey," a quiet and soft voice belonging to his father asked through a crack in the door, just out of sight," you two okay?"

"Yeah, we're just doing great dad, thanks," Dipper called back, sarcasm dripping through his trembling voice.

"Uh... okay, just... we can talk with you if, you, er, you want to," his father asked from outside.

"Let them be," Dippers mother called, slightly further away than his father from the door.

"I'm fine," Dipper stood up, and firmly closed the door," I'm just going to go to sleep. Goodnight."

This was entirely a lie. Dipper knew that he, and his twin sister, would be laying in bed all night, dreading the coming days. He leaned back against his pillow, shaking his head, blaming himself. Maybe, had he just gone with Mabel to do something silly outdoors, they could have held this off a bit longer, and this life he knew wouldn't be crashing around him. He could have had that security, maybe, of a bit more comfort.

"That's just a lie too," he whispered to himself.

* * *

><p>Three years pass<p>

* * *

><p>A lone teenager walked down a peaceful street in Citrus Heights. A hand held to his ear and a bounce in his step, he was excited for the coming weeks ahead and he spoke animatedly into his phone while his other hand swept through his brown hair.<p>

"And he was really excited about my fictional work too," Dipper Pines, age fifteen told his mother on the phone.

"Really? About time someone noticed your talent for mystery and paranormal stories," his mom replied.

"I mean, I guess I just had to go back and edit a few crazy things out to make the story more believable," Dipper rolled his eyes," but he was shocked I hadn't taken it to a publisher yet."

"Mister Dugood said that?" his mom asked," I did have a good feeling about him at the parent teacher conference this year."

"Yeah, so I'll be home in a bit, so I'll talk to you more about it then, okay?" Dipper asked.

"Of course! Great job with school this year. Stay safe!" His mom hung up, and he flipped his phone away with a sigh.

"Work of fiction. I guess that's all I can relate to anyone about that kind of stuff," Dipper sighed as he passed under a blooming orange tree, its wonderfully sweet scents all but ignored by Dipper Pines. He had, after all, moved here more than two years ago with his mother, and the scent was little to anything more than part of the scenery.

"Who cares," Dipper shrugged off the idea of his past romances with the unknown from his mind," Mom, you may think you fooled your son about the gift, but I know too well your late night purchase a few weeks ago. It HAS to be today!"

"Yeah! Today!" an elderly man cheered back, pointing his walking stick into the air. "Carpe Diem, suckers!"

"Exactly, Mister Himmerfield," Dipper gave the man two points with his fingers as he crossed the street," today, I get my first car!"

"Yeah! Automated transportation!" Mr. Himmerfield cheered back.

"No more walking for this guy!" Dipper did a little turn about, leaning against a white picket fence in his eternal glory of knowing his coming present from his mother. "Sweet, sweet gasoline, road laws, and pedestrian rights!"

"I'm legally blind!" Mr. Himmerfield shouted with as much enthusiasm as he vanished down the street. "I have to walk forever!"

"... yeah! Uh... right," Dipper watched his audience support haunch away. He turned away from the strange old man who lived in his neighborhood, and continued towards his home. His book bag jumping about his back as he jogged, he rounded a fence to the front walkway to his house, and there was his mom.

She had shoulder length thick brown hair and big brown eyes which struggled to contain her excitement. Dipper took as casual steps he could until she whipped towards the garage and pushed a small button in her hand. The doors raised, and there was a new car, and even more recent model than Dipper had expected. He dropped his book bag to the earth and fell to his knees.

"To the powers that be, you have made this day," he roared to the heavens," AWESOME!"

"The powers that be are happy to appease," Dippers mom came over and pulled her son to his feet and gave him a strong hug.

"Mom!" Dipper struggled to be released, and she did so after a moment, letting her son charge to his new car.

"It's a Crescendo- a bit older than I would have liked to gotten you- but the safety rating is a great," Dippers mother realized he was smiling at her with a satisfied, yet cocky, grin," You must have known, didn't you?" she asked as he carefully looked over the surface of the black car, capable of sitting five. It had fewer curves and more flat surfaces, but it held the grace of an older car but with the functionality of a new model.

"You're not good a hiding things," Dipper reminded her," what exactly did you expect when I saw you hurrying to cover this with a dirty rag when I came home last week? A Bison was under there?"

"Psh, I had you fooled," she denied his achievement to notice such things," and remember- technically this belongs to the family until you're of age. Right?"

"No joyrides without your consent, gotcha," Dipper turned his head just barely to speak to her, as his eyes were busy drinking in as much of the car as possible.

"Maybe you should call your dad, let him know that you can come see him whenever you'd like?" his mom suggested after a moment of him inspecting the car through the windows.

"Nah, it'll be a surprise," Dipper sighed as he watched himself bend and reflect in the curves of the car," oh my god, thank you so much mom!"

"Well, keep those grades up! Top of the class in, everything?" She smiled as she shook her head," I only wish I had gotten such a brain when I was your age."

"No, seriously, Dipper turned, and charged into a hug with his mom," thank you so much!" She gasped at his collision and laughed. A phone then rang from inside the house.

"Well, you enjoy this first of many steps towards adult hood and the responsibilities that come with it," his mom said as she stepped away and towards the house," I'll see who is calling the house."

"Someone older, I bet, if they're calling landline," Dipper guessed. As the front door closed behind his mother, he did consider calling his dad. He hadn't spoken to him for a long time, long enough to wonder what Mabel was up to.

The thought of his sister brought a wave of shame to his gut. The two had an unspoken falling out, coupled by distance and the introduction of high-school. Dipper knew his sister wasn't nearly as competent as he was with academics, and worried if she was struggling. The thought passed that maybe he should call. Maybe better, drive down to Piedmont to say hi to the two, and more importantly, brag his new ride. It was too good of a thought.

His reality check crushed his dreams. The trip was long enough away, and he wasn't sure he was comfortable to drive alone on the highways. He had done it before, sure, but to travel to his dads and Mabels at the same time made him feel nervous. He would just send them an excited email later, maybe.

Dipper heard the door creak open, and he turned to his mother. Her excitement had all been drained from her face. He knew immediately that whatever she had to say wasn't good news.

"Mom? What's up?" he asked, the nervous look in her eyes infecting him.

"It's... your Grand Uncle, Stan?" she started," he just passed away."

Dipper nearly fell back against his brand new car. His mother made to help him, but he slid to a seat against the wheel of his brand new ride. Static filled his ears and his skin prickled with uncertainty. He couldn't have heard what she just said.

"What... what do you mean he passed away? Did he move away from Gravity Falls?" he asked her, yet not looking at her.

"He died last night," his mother said sadly, sitting down in front of him, as he breathed deeply.

His mind raced out of control. The energy he held to minutes previously now battled the horrible pit of feeling that pierce him like a bolt of lightning. The unstoppable, unflinching, miser and con man, loving Grunkle Stan died. Dipper couldn't begin to understand how he was supposed to feel about this news. He supposed in his head that he aught to feel sad, but it was as the ability to be sad, to act sad, was not physically possible.

"Someone by the name of Northwest sent a message to us- you, that you are mentioned in the will of your Grand Uncle," she tried explaining, very aware of the incredible stress she had unleashed onto her once celebrating son.

"I..." Dipper searched his brain for anything to do, say, act on. It was his strongest, most reliable feature. Yet it failed him, here and now. In desperation, he looked elsewhere in his being, and found in his heart and gut a joint answer. "I'm going to Gravity Falls."

"But, don't you have a summer job lined up at Pizza-Asteroids?" His mom asked as he stood up, and started to walk inside.

"I'll let them know this came up. Mom, this is important," he told her as he turned towards the hallway leading to his room. Entering his space, he began grabbing his necessary ingredients for travel- extra clothing, washing supplies, toothpaste.

"Well... I'm not going to stop you," his mom sighed and he gave her a look.

"Really?"

"I agree with you. I think this is important. I'll even get some money for you from the kitchen," she said and she turned away towards the other side of the house.

It only took Dipper a quick few minutes to find enough for him to say he was ready to pack. He lifted his bag up, and spotted a mirror in his room. It showed the scruff signs of a chin with stubble, and his thick brown hair without his hat, as wearing them was banned at his school. With one last turn back to his dresser, he reached up and brought down to his head an old baseball cap he hadn't worn in quite some time.

"Ugh, a little tight," he groaned, and undid the back strap a little, and it slid on easier," there."

With his hat atop his head and two suitcases in his hands, he made for his new car. Outside, his mom waited, looking worriedly as she observed him approach the trunk of the car. She popped it open for him with a click of a button from the electronic keys, and Dipper calmly placed his suitcases inside. With a long sigh, he closed the trunk, and turned to his mom.

"Here," she said, and held out they keys for him. He gave them only one glance, and took them from her.

"Mom... thanks," he said with a faint smile.

"Just be careful. You were just twelve when you were there, so things may have changed from how you remember them," she warned him.

"They already have," he said strongly, as he walked to the driver side, and opened the door. The feeling of taking the steering wheel was more than enough for him to shake any second thoughts or doubts from his mind. He stepped in and closed the door. It would not open until he reached Gravity Falls, all the way in Oregon. "Mabel, you better show."

* * *

><p>"Dad! I have returned from my glorious campaign against my ancient rival; school!" Mabel Pines called out as she entered her home. She quickly dropped her school bag to the floor, and strode to the couch in the living room.<p>

"How was the last day?" her dad called from the kitchen.

"No one survived my onslaught," she grimly said.

"Right. I guess that means you think you did well?" her dad asked with a hint of caution. Mabel laughed manically and turned on the television. She picked briefly at her teeth, showing the bright and metal-less chompers. "You can worry a parent sometimes, you know that."

"Worry? Why worry when you can conquer the world," she said as she channel surfed. Her long brown hair fell to the mid of her back, and was currently half covering her face. She pouted at the lack of good television.

"So, you're not going to tell me about your grade card?" Mister Pines said as he walked into the room, wringing off water from his hands with a hand towel. He had short brown hair and a thoughtful look about his eyes, like he was always in concentration or deep thought.

"I don't wanna, that's boring. But I had a great time with my SENSEI!" she bellowed triumphantly, beating her chest like a gorilla while making accompanying sounds.

"Miss Hirsh and you had a good practice?" Mabels dad asked as he sat down next to her, stole the remote, and put on the news.

"She thinks I'm improving fast, or whatever," Mabel blew off her accreditation easily," and we've established that I'm fire and air of the paths, so I can begin my focuses soon, but you know that's just because we're like super tight. Martial arts master and pupil- don't even come between."

"You know, I was a little weirded out with your interest, but I have to admit," he defended her," it's sensible. I like the idea of you learning a style of self-defense that works towards who you are."

"Pshwa, self defense," she snickered," it's just going to help me defeat my greatest foe yet, Bethany Mills, and her waaaay too dark hair."

"That girl giving you trouble still?" her dad asked with a quick look of concern.

"Yeah right, emo girls don't fight, they just speak badly of you in," she dropped her tone to be more menacing and fatigued," darker tones to appease our master of darkness." Her father laughed with her, and she nearly fell off the couch.

"Hey, I think it' time I showed you something. Get up kiddo," her dad told her as he stood up.

"If its another crazy computer gizmo, I'm going to fall asleep on it," Mabel warned her father, but was interested when he turned to the back door, leading to their backyard," wait... what's that lumpy thingy under the stained sheets?"

Her father turned and placed his hands against her shoulders, silently telling her to remain still. Instantly, the possibilities of what awaited underneath the large sheet, probably an animal of some sort she was wishing of. Since Waddles got too big and was sent to a petting Zoo to appease the hearts of similar girls like Mabel, she had longed for another pet. Her father grasped the sheets and tugged strongly. A burst of light caught her eyes, and she blinked.

"A... bike?" she asked with uncertainty.

"It's the Insurgent, from a few years back. I knew you wouldn't want a car, so might as well go with one of these bad boys, and since you already have that little license, or at least one fake enough to convince me you actually passed the test. So, what do you think?"

"It's cool! So, does that mean you're trading your old car for this bike? I didn't know you were into pink. I really like the color, though," Mabel said with fascination. Her dad gave her a strong look and confident smile, and shook his head. The clockwork of Mabels mind clicked suddenly, and her thoughts finally understood what was happening. Her mouth dropped open like a brick falling from a ledge.

"I think you got it," her dad chuckled.

"I-I-I- It's mine!?" she starting hopping in place.

"Yup. As long as you promise me you won't go and tell your mom about it. Or get pulled over, because I'm not sure you're legally supposed to be riding these until you're eighteen. So-"

Mabel tackled her father in the midriff, knocking the wind out of him, and began to chant a combination of "Thank you!" and "I love it!" in such a fury that words began to mix and switch around and she eventually became unintelligible. Her father laughed and tried prying her off. She quieted down, and held on tighter.

"Mabel, I think you're cutting off blood from my legs," her dad told her after a moment.

"Not. Letting. Go. You have to earn hugs for what you gave me," she said sternly. A phone rang in the house.

"Mabel, I need to get that, it could be work," her dad told her, but she refused to let go. After an attempt to shake her off with a quick jump, he did several hoola-hoops using her, and she slid off and landed near her new bike. "Don't go anywhere with it!" he scolded her as she hungrily approached the bike.

"You ask the impossible, sir," she greedily said as she approached the shining and well conditioned bike. Her ultimate excitement reflected back to her as she stared the chrome and pink metal that covered the back. It seat and handles gave it the air of motor-bikes of old, more for an upright position than leaning forward or back. She knew exactly what her next purchase would be- matching badass pink sunglasses.

"Oh you and me," she said, pulling the bike close to her face," we are going to be close friends. Like, maybe soul mates. But you have to contribute to this relationship too, you know. I won't just... let you..." she stared into the shininess of the bike, and almost began to drool," you are perfect."

"Mabel," a voice called from the door.

"One second," she replied in a hushed voice," this moment should last forever."

"It's, um, it's about Uncle Stan," Mister Pines said.

"Grunkle Stan!" Mabel spun and stood up from the bike, excitement floating through her even more. Her mood was drenched by the look her father had. He seemed deflated, even more than he was in comparison to his daughter. "Dad?"

"Uh, he's... Mabel, last night, in his sleep, he passed away," her dad began, struggling for words," and your name has been mentioned in the will, so the 'Northwests' are calling you for a copy of his will."

"Wait... Grunkle Stan is dead?" she asked. Her father nodded, sadness creeping on his face. Mabel considered the possibility for a moment, that the man she had spent an entire summer with may have actually left her behind. "Yeah right!" Mabel laughed aloud, stunning her father.

"Mabel?"

"If I know good 'ol Grunkle Stan, he's probably just tired of lifting boxes and cleaning the windows on his own, and this is some sort of stunt to get me to come back and help him out," Mabel reasoned aloud.

"Mabel!" her dad almost shouted," this is serious! The local authorities confirmed it. He's really gone."

"But... nah," Mabel blew off the idea again. However, as she rejected the idea for a second time, a clever response came time mind. "I think I need to go prove that he's alive."

"You- what?!" Mister Pines blustered as Mabel charged so fast into the house it was like a blur, and returned with a half-filled backpack.

"I just have to make sure I pack my extra sweaters, cus it can get hot, even up in-" Mabel ran back inside for a moment, and reappeared with art supplies, and began to cram them inside her large backpack," and beside, maybe now that I'm fifteen, he will have to pay me if I do help out with-" she ran inside again after shoving the art stuff away, and then re-emerged with more clothing," because let's just face it, he may be an old geezer, but he has no sense of-"

"MABEL!" her dad finally burst out, stunning her daughter to a freeze. He breathed heavily for a moment, staring at her incredulously.

"Dad," she pleaded quietly," let me go to him. I know he's not gone."

"How can you be sure? Being dead isn't exactly something you can just disprove," her dad argued. She shrugged.

"And besides," Mabel stood up with the overstuffed and barely closed backpack," I know Dipper will be there."

"... you think so?" he asked her with a tad more ease than before.

"I know it. One of those nutty twin-things, right?" she grinned at her dad. He shook his head, giving the impression he was not entirely cool with the idea of letting his daughter go alone for a long trip.

"I couldn't stop you, short from locking you up and tying you down," he warned her as he extended his hand with they keys and dropped them into her own outstretched hands.

"Like that would stop me," she smiled and hugged her father," it would only slow me down."

"Well, get going before I smarten up and actually do tie you down," her dad said with a clever grin, and she nodded. She leapt for the bike, and landed gracefully. A moment later, after pulling out her standard sunglasses from her backpack, she checked the mirrors.

"Certified badass," she nodded with a straight face and started the engines. Sadly, before her father could get the fence gate open for her to exit, she put the gas on, and in a split second, crashed through half the fence. Dogs barked from the distance as she hit the ground and avoided any real harm. Getting up and dusting herself off, she briefly looked back to the damage to the fence she caused- she utterly destroyed it.

"... Mabel," her father growled, furthering her haste onto the bike.

"I'll fix it when I come back!" she shouted as she soared off onto the street, nearly hitting a parked car across the street. Her dad was seen in the mirror of her bike, and she watched him watch her until she turned down a new street, heading towards the highway from the suburbia she lived in.

"Gravity Falls, here I..." she stopped her bike for a split moment, sliding to a halt. Fortune favored her, as the street was empty aside from her. She rummaged through her backpack for one object, and without ever looking inside, pulled out an older photo of herself and her brother, Dipper, goofing at the camera.

"...Here we come," she grinned confidently, and sped on out with a wild swerve, accidentally running over a tin trash can as she sped away. "SORRY!" she called back to the owner of the trash can, who huffed out and cursed at her while she vanished down the street.

* * *

><p>Hello readers, friends new and old! Welcome to my newest story, simply 'The Return to Gravity Falls'!<p>

I hope you're as excited to read this as I was to write it, because this is going to be one wild story. So, before I let this prologue end, I want to establish a few things.

First, for my old friends, this isn't going to one of my usual stories- so action and adventure will be playing more towards the discovery and mystery than the fighting- but don't think for a moment that means there won't be any! Gravity Falls is a dangerous place, after all.

Second, this story will be updated bi-weekly and the structure of the story will be built like a show-season. What that means is that every two chapters will serve as a singular 'episode', otherwise I would have to update every three weeks or so, and that just wont do.

Third, to the great fans of Gravity Falls, like me :), I want to establish a 'canon' policy. The actual series is still going strong, and the end is no where in sight. So, I intend to make this story as canon as much as I possibly can, but I can only correct predict so much. So, there will be a lot of deliberate ambiguity and vagueness towards the end of the pine-twins first stay at Gravity Falls, and that is intentional.

And Finally, for those of you wondering about the angst (especially if you know me) they're teens, for Pete's sake. Angst will rear its head a bit in the beginning of this series, but I promise you once the story settles down to rest at Gravity Falls, we'll get that quirky and wonderful story vibe that Alex Hirsch has worked very hard to create.

Phew! Talk about a long author note. Maybe I talked to much, but I'm really anxious to make this story work. I have a strong love for anything that can pull my fascination with the unknown and the strong bond of people in unpredictable situations like Gravity Falls can.

So, see you guys in two weeks for the first half of episode one, 'Summer, Idle No More', or if you are subscribed to me, check in this Friday for HSWC!

Seeya!

-EZB


	2. Summer, Idle No More: Part 1

Crickets chirped gently in the faint breeze that glided through the woods. The sun had long since fallen and the sky was dotted with bright stars and hints of vast cosmic colors. The serenity of it all was mildly interrupted by the crunching and crackling of dirt and gravel as a black car drove down the back-woods path towards a solitary building. The black car found itself stopped before the building in the woods.

Seven hours, twenty two minutes since leaving his neighborhood, the door to a newly acquired Crescendo opened and out stepped Dipper Pines. He closed the door behind him as he looked up. It had been three years since he had seen it for his own eyes. The great memories nearly danced before him, figments of imagination from good times long ago. Star and moon light bounced off his car but it was the lights of the building before him caught his attention.

"The Mystery Shack," he whispered as he stared at the structure.

The wooden building was crudely from an odd assortment of planks of wood and logs, placed half-hazard in the vague shape of a two-level house. A plethora of signs, ranging from the hardly intact main sign "Mystery Shack" to 'gifts' and 'world famous' dotted the roof and walls. Just by the back of the gravel parking lot stood the tall Native-American inspired, but plastic, totem pole.

He tilted his head to the side as he approached the building. In his mind, as he imagined coming to the shack, he would realize that it was much smaller than he remembered. If anything, it now seemed even bigger. He was certain that Grunkle Stan had, at some point, added several additions to the shack. It almost seemed like something more of a large home than a shack built on twigs and branches as he had remembered it.

His feet scrapped the gravel beneath him as he walked forward, passing a sign that had been left facing down in the grass. A quick click of his keys in his hands had the car beep weakly in response. The front door was certainly smaller than he remembered, and with a good grip, he opened the it slowly.

Once Dipper stepped inside and flicked on the lights, he realized that the inside of the gift shop hadn't changed in the slightest. Tons of cheap, low-grade merchandise were displayed all around him on shelves and tables. He even spotted several newer items, including postcards and posters, which he read while picking them up 'I uncovered the truths of the mystery shack!'.

"Only for ten and twenty bucks. Grunkle Stan," Dipper smiled and shook his head sadly as he put down the stack of still-sealed postcards.

It was the mention of his uncle that stirred his emotions. Since he had left, he had kept his feelings on a tight lock-down. Seven hours stuck in a car with bottled thoughts of a mentor he cared deeply for wasn't a combo he had enjoyed for one minute on the trip here. He turned against the counter and leaned against it.

"Was this always this short?" he asked, realizing that the height of the counter was also much smaller than he had remembered, going to just above his belly button. He sighed, and removed his cap, and placed it behind him as he let his head relax. Wearing a hat for such a long trip came up as slightly constrictive to his forehead. He gave it a quick rub, allowing his hair to brush past his strange birth mark; a near perfect replica of the big dipper constellation.

"I'm sure you'd just be sending me to my room in case you needed me to patch up the roof or something in the morning," Dipper quietly said out loud, considering the situation had his great uncle still been there.

A creek of the floorboards had Dipper turn his head around. His heart raced, wondering the source of the sound. Had he heard that sound anywhere else in the world, he would have probably been less nervous; but this was Gravity Falls. Monsters and creatures of the unknown, paradoxes and time slip streams, and brilliantly intellectual yet insane madmen- all dominated this town.

He pushed himself off the counter and approached the open door he had come through, where he was sure he had heard the sound. The dark night of the woods awaited, and he poked his head quickly out.

"Hello?" he called. A quick look back and forth revealed no one around. He started to pull himself back inside and close the door, but only then spotted something behind his car. He let the door hang open a second longer to look at what appeared to be a motorcycle parked just behind his new ride.

His vision was obscured instantly and a shriek filled his ears. Something clinging from above the door and underneath the overhang swung down and tackled him. He screamed and desperately covered his face as he was thrown back inside. He landed in the middle of the gift shop, and began to claw away from the black figure who was crawling hastily towards him.

"Wait-" he tried, but only found a pair of hands grabbing his face and tugging it closer.

"DIPPER!" a girls voice shouted as she rubbed her own face against his as she embraced him tight enough for him to hear his bones creak.

"M-m-m-" he attempted to breath, but was unable to until the girl broke free with a loud 'ouch!' and started rubbing her face.

"Your face is spiky!" Mabel Pines declared in awe as she soothed her stubble-burned face.

"Mabel?" Dipper asked quietly as he watched his twin from the floor.

"That's one thing dad got right," she pulled out a small notebook from a pocket, a pencil, and scratched something off the list," has grown slight facial hair."

"MABEL!" Dipper shouted and charged at her. She lost grip of her pencil and notebook as he collided with her, his hug pulling her up from the floor.

"You guessed correctly!" she happily stated as Dipper finally let go after a moment.

"You- you're here!" Dipper exclaimed as he gave her a quick look up and down," I can't... I'm so- wow!"

"Right?!" Mabel grinned and smacked his shoulder," the boys can't keep themselves off me!"

"Right- wait, what?" Dipper shook his head as he replied.

"Little Mabel grew up into a strutting boy magnet," she confidently announced, turning around, trying to physically explain her apparent sex-appeal," all the wows you can possibly hear when I walk the hallways- so wow is right!"

"Uh... okay?" Dipper said," I guess your ego grew as much as you did."

"Shush!" she hissed and flicked his forehead with her finger," you dare to question my prowess!?"

"Mabel, your first real date turned out to be a group of five gnomes trying to impersonate a grungy teen," Dipper reminded her. Mabels response was to blow a raspberry and repeatedly smack his face with her hands limply. "C'mon Mabel, cut it out!" She lowered her hands while laughing at him, and he grinned.

"It's been a while, hasn't it?" she asked him with a small smile. Dipper's own grin faltered slightly. "What?"

"Nothing," he waved it off, trying to put back on a more confident smile of his own," you know, I'm just glad to see you again."

"Aww you," she punched his shoulder once again, and he let out a small 'ow'," making a sister feel appreciated."

"Right," Dipper smiled again, desperate to bury his growing guilt of having not seen her in almost a year. He instead focused on the joy of finally being with her again. There was a sound from behind Dipper, and he spun around as Mabel looked past him.

"Oh, hey dudes," a big bellied and tall man was peeking out from behind the hall that lead deeper into the house," if you're going to go out to grab something, can you bring back some nachos? Kinda vibe-ing the nachos right now. Okay? Sweet," and the man vanished behind the wall.

"Soos?" Mabel called out. A quiet moment was proceeded with heavy stomps in rapid succession. Soos, the handyman of the Mystery Shack re-appeared before them, in a robe that was just barely too small for his size. He stared at them, and wiped his eyes.

"Okay. So I'm dreaming. Right?" he approached them.

"No, Soos, you're awake," Dipper grinned at the man still easily a head taller than him.

"Oh yeah? Well apparitions of my grown up friends, present to me evidence that you are really here and that I am not having a wonderfully nostalgic dream," Soos ordered the two of them with crossed arms. Mabel instantly obliged and stepped forward. Giving him a long and hard look, she reached up and tickled his armpits. "OH- OH-" Soos started laughing heartedly.

"And here," Mabel added, going for the other arm, and Soos roared with laughter, holding his stomach as he did. A moment passed and he wiped away a tear.

"Okay, so I see you, I can feel you," Soos leaned forward, and poked Dipper and Mabel gently on top their head," and you two can feel me, right?"

"Yup," Dipper nodded.

"It's like we're connected," Mabel smirked at her comment as Soos's finger prodded her scalp.

"Okay. So, either this is the most realistic dream I have ever had, or you two are really here again and... DUDES!" Soos's mind gave into the concept of his old friends being fragments of imagination and swept them into a lifting hug," oh my god, am I happy to see the two of you!"

"You too Soos!" Dipper smiled as he and his sister hugged back.

"Wow, I mean," Soos eventually lowered them to the ground," wow. I'll be honest, I wasn't sure I was ever going to be seeing you guys again. Soo glad I was wrong, you know?"

"Yeah! So, how do we look?" Mabel asked as she grabbed Dipper and tugged them together.

"This is just great! Like, even better than when Montana Jeffreys stopped in town! I mean look at you two," he said, giving each a quick 'up and down'," almost mature. Boy, that's kind of scary to think," Soos scratched his exposed brown hair," since I knew you when you were up to my stomach I think."

"Highschool does that to you," Dipper said as he poked his sister to release him. It was in the moment, as the three of them looked to one another, that they all subconsciously came to the same conclusion: the only reason they were seeing each other again was the fact that Stan was gone. Soos lost a bit of the light in his face, and his smile grew slightly sadder.

"Well, if you two want, the building still has the old attic room you two can stay in until the situation is figured out," he placed a hand on either of their shoulders," I'm staying here until everything is settled out. You need help carrying anything in?"

"Uh, no, but you're welcome to come out with us incase a werewolf or something tries to eat us," Dipper told him as he started to turn around. Mabel held him by the shoulder, and he faced her," what?"

"Guys, you know he's not gone, right?" Mabel asked aloud to the two.

"Wait, what?" Soos asked her, his eyes wide with shock.

"What?" Dipper also repeated," what are you talking about Mabel? The cops pronounced him dead yesterday."

"Or did they?" Mabel asked the two of them, pulling them closer to her by the shoulders," I have a theory: what if this is a huge stunt by Grunkle Stan to get us all back together? He'd want us to work on the shack while he was lazy all summer!"

"Woah... that is way too conspirical for me to handle," Soos said with wide eyes.

"Guys," Dipper pushed himself from the group debate," we can't just discount the police because of a theory. We need evidence to make that kind of assumption. And the evidence states that Grunkle Stan died."

"He wouldn't die!" Mabel waved her hand aside in emphases of discarding the idea," he'd just go to sleep and wake up even crankier! Blaargh!" she mimicked an angry old man yelling at them.

"Sounds like him," Soos nodded with his hand holding his chin.

"Guys," Dipper growled, but Mabel continued.

"And maybe he just wanted to make sure that we all still cared enough for one another, so he decided he would-"

"Mabel!" Dipper shouted at his sister. Her smile fell away as he glared at her. "This isn't one of our fun memories, okay? This is real life, right now, and our Great Uncle died, and we need to respect that fact!" Dipper breathed heavily and he turned away and walked out. "I'm going to get my stuff, and go to bed."

"I guess I'm not the only one who's torn up about this," Soos said with a deep sigh," c'mon bud," he patted Mabel's shoulder," let's get your stuff upstairs."

"Yeah, let's go," Mabel nodded lightly as she followed her old friend.

The night passed by in a stew of uncomfortably. Dipper had remained quiet since his little snap at Mabel and Soos. He chose to grunt or occasionally provide a 'sure' or 'yeah' rather than speak in full sentences. Mabel continued to keep herself hopeful. It wasn't until Dipper had gone to bed without saying a word that she lay on her own bed, across the room, and stared at the ceiling, worry etched in her face. Her strive to find Stanley Pines alive and well seemed to have dimmed by her brothers unflinching believe of his demise. She stared for hours at that same ceiling, until an untold point at night, she too fell asleep.

"Mabel, get up," a voice called to Mabel, deep inside her slumber.

"Not now. School is over dad, I can sleep in today," she groaned back, shifting in her sleep.

"Mabel, we're at the shack," Dipper's voice called her to consciousness, and her eyes darted open. Quickly sitting up from her bed, she looked to her brother.

"Mornings are stupid," she informed him, her hair messy and disorganized. Dipper sighed as he turned from her. He was already up and held a towel over his shoulder, with a small bag of bathroom things.

"Get up already. We need to go to town today," Dipper reminded," we need to receive copies of the will."

"Who's Will?"

"Grunkle Stans last will and testimony?" Dipper sighed. Mabel gave a confirming headshake and yawn as Dipper left for the bathrooms to change.

It was nearly eleven when the two of them were ready, mostly due to Mabel being unable to find all her needed articles of clothing and hygienic material. At eleven fifteen the two stepped out of the doors, Dipper already in a sour mood.

"We're going to be late for this meeting, and this is important," Dipper scolded his sister," you really think finding the right flavored tooth paste made a difference today?"

"The flavor can determine your senses for the rest of the day! It's like super-important!" she told him with a wiggle of her arms above her head.

"It took you twenty minutes for one flavor of toothpaste?" Dipper asked.

"I have a lot of flavors, bro, okay?" she stuck her tongue out and walked past him," and looking for Parchment-Fresh was very important!" Dipper only then remembered what she had apparently drove here with.

"So... who's bike did you borrow?" Dipper asked, trying to mask his curiosity.

"Psh, one of my boyfriends, you know how it is," Mabel waved a hand as she put on her pair of sunglasses with pink rims that matched the motorcycle.

"One... of your boyfriends?" Dipper asked one of his eyebrows popping up quickly. Mabel spotted the reaction and instantly cracked up, leaning on the bike for support as she laughed at him. "What?!"

"Just, your face!" Mabel tried to impersonate her brother, with bit eyes, raised eyebrows and an exaggerated o-shaped mouth," Bwop!" but could only for a single moment before continuing her snickering.

"Right, because you're dating someone who prefers to ride around in a pink sparkling motorcycle?" Dipper pointed out, stalling Mabel's laughter.

"I... like men who aren't afraid of their color identity," Mabel defended and laughed a bit more.

"Oh, laugh it up, because your pink bike from your 'boyfriend'," he added a finger quotation for boyfriend," can't even compete with mine."

"You have a boyfriend?" Mabel laughed even harder and Dipper went red in the face.

"NO! A ride, I got a ride!" he exclaimed angrily. She only laughed harder, and Dipper then realized her insinuations," MABEL! I got a mode of transportation! Okay?!"

"Yeah, you got a motorcycle?" Mabel sneered at him as he leaned against the black car, and only then realized that he was referring to the car. "Wait, that's yours?" she asked in awe.

"Oh Yeah! Full surround radio, reclining seats, air conditioning, some nice leather seats... well, I think its leather," he added as he peered inside," it feels like leather... maybe its-"

"Oh look-et me!" said Mabel as she ran around to the driver side of the car and jumped inside the unlocked vehicle.

"Mabel! Be careful with it!" he shouted as he opened the door to follow her.

"Oh, soo important, I need a black car with a bunch of gears, ohhh," Mabel wove her hands around the car, and began to turn the wheel around as she 'drove', and adopted an estranged rough voice," I need to be on time for my appointment of stuffy old men who wear stupid suits! Woosh! That pedestrian means nothing to a true businessman!"

"You sound a little jealous," Dipper said as it was his turn to smile cheekily at his sister.

"Ah man, I don't know," Mabel earnestly said as she leaned back with his driver seat," would I like the car that is going to be stuffy old man-mobile, or," she leapt back out and ran to her bike," awesome girl power five thousand!?"

"I'll take the black car," Dipper said easily.

"Be that way, looser," Mabel stuck her tongue out," at least I ride," she dipped her glasses under her eyes," in style, baby."

"Hey guys," Soos' voice called from the front door, and the two turned," you both heading out?"

"Yup! Going to solve the mystery of the disappeared Stanly!" Mabel gave Soos a thumbs up. Dipper gave her an angry and disapproving stare, which unaffected her smile.

"We're heading out, yeah," Dipper nodded as he walked to the driver side door.

"Okay. Just so you two know, the funeral is going to be held today at two. The place is jut outside of town, but it's not that far. So I guess I'll see you two there. I'll be dressed nicely, just, cus, you know," Soos trailed off, and waved to them goodbye, before walking backwards into the shack. The two watched him vanish backwards into the shadows, and gave each other one more look before entering their transportation.

The trip into town was mostly uneventful, with the exception of Mabel trying to speed along side Dipper while making as many faces at him as she could. This nearly lead to her falling off the road and into a deep stream, but she recovered and decided it would be better just to follow him. They finally arrived to the Gravity Falls law firm, and after Dipper scolded Mabel for a moment, they entered the building.

For Mabel it was horrendously boring. A member of Northwest and Associates sat them down and spoke about the contents of the will, and how they both would end up owning a copy for their needs. Mabel stuck pencils under her bracelet and stabbed at Dipper, spun her chair as many times she could in one push of her feet, and tried folding her copy into a origami piece. Dipper, at the first moment they could take their copies and leave, grasped the opportunity and his sisters arm.

"You really just... couldn't resist folding your copy into a ball, could you?" Dipper demanded of his twin as they left, almost an hour later.

"It was an armadillo," she proclaimed, holding up the fully formed armadillo origami," and it's **adorable**."

"Did you catch a thing she was trying to tell you?" Dipper questioned as she began to rock the paper figure in her arms.

"Words. Words about things and stuff."

"We own the Mystery Shack as soon as we're seventeen," Dipper told her as she snuggled the origami with her cheek, wincing with each paper point she pressed against her skin," which means we would have land here that would be split between us. We need to take careful of these!" Dipper told her, holding the paper up.

"It's not really ours, though," Mabel reminded him, using the armadillo to speak for her as she held it out," because this is all one big trick by Grunkle Stan."

Dipper stared at her origami piece, and then her and shook his head. He took her own paper from her, which she didn't even notice as she was too busy playing with her little adorable armadillo. He slid the two copies into a folder, placed them into his backpack, and he laid it on the backseat, and stepped to the drivers door.

"Mabel, we need to go," he called to her as he waited for her to snap away from playing with paper.

"Aww, he doesn't like you, mister widdle desert animal surbiber, but I do. Your capacity to ball up for survival and cuteness is not lost on me," she said in a baby-voice.

"Mabel, we need to go to the funeral," Dipper tried again. This time, she turned to face him, angered at his reminder," and we need to get dressed for it. Come on, lets get back to the shack."

Mabel complied with her brothers request, and the two of them sped home to change into more formal attire. On this return, Mabel was quicker to ready herself than Dipper gave her credit for, and they left to the Gravity Falls Funeral Home on time. Dipper had a dark button up and black pants with belt, and as he stepped out, he tossed his cap on his seat before closing the door.

Mabel was less appropriate for a funeral, as she claimed this wouldn't be a proper funeral anyway, since Stan was actually alive. She wore a slightly poofy dark violet skirt that fell just past her knees, and a navy sweater with a single sewn image of a wooden crate in the center with a big yellow question mark above it. She grinned as she put shooting star earrings as soon as her bike was off and parked.

"Mabel, really?" Dipper asked as he watched her check the earrings.

"You're right," she nodded her head, and then reached into the same small pouch aside her seat and pulled out a rose pink headband with a small ribbon at the top. "Much better," she nodded, checking the floppiness of the ribbon.

"Lets just get inside already," Dipper growled as he stepped to the door. Mabel followed suit as they stepped through the doors. Gravity Falls Funeral home was not remotely close to the word spacious. The main room for the ceremony had enough seats for maybe twenty people total, most of which was being taken by various church pews.

"Oh man," Dipper said after stepping inside, and looking ahead.

"What Dip?" Mabel asked, almost running into him. He lifted his hand and pointed ahead. A tall and skinny man with graying hair and sullen eyes awaited them, standing behind the coffin.

"Ah, the mourning party is here," he said in a faint and morbidly deep voice," please, take your seat. We will begin once others have shown."

"Uh... I'm not sure others will show, sir," Dipper stated politely, and took a seat.

"Yeah! I mean, who shows up to a funeral when the person isn't even dead?" Mabel snorted as she made to sit next to her brother. The tall figure blinked slowly and then lowered himself to stare at the casket in concern. Her comment however made Dipper squint his face up, and he took a step away from her. "Hey-"

"Let's just wait until someone else shows up," Dipper said to the floor.

Mabel stared at her brother. Since coming here, the most common reactions from her brother had been cold and harsh towards her. She wanted more than anything to let him know she wasn't trying to get on his nerves, or be a jerk about this, but that she remained confident about this feeling of hers. She reached over and touched his shoulder.

"What happened to us?" she asked him when he turned to look at her.

"I... what do you mean?" Dipper asked with a quick look away from her.

"We're not the same," Mabel told him sadly," it's like... we've been away for so long, I don't even know if I feel like we're twins anymore, you know?"

"We're still related, Mabel," he said strongly, yet didn't turn to face her.

"I... I said twins," she repeated. Dipper leaned back and let out a tensed growl.

"I just want this to be over with," Dipper said aloud," I want this to be done with so I can go home and pretend that this never happened. Then I can live in denial that Grunkle Stan is up here still ripping off tourists left and right and is always wondering what us crazy kids are up to. Okay? So... just let me sit for-"

Mabel stood up from her seat. Her quick action had Dipper turn and watch her step walk and sit him down on the other side of the main aisle. When she sat, she turned away and crossed her legs.

"What?" he called to her.

"So, you wish you didn't get the chance to see me, did you?" Mabel asked away from him, and Dipper stood up to her.

"That's not what I said!"

"We haven't spoken to one another for so long, Dipper!" Mabel turned to her standing brother, anger shining through her," and all you can think about is going home!"

"Can you blame me!?" he waved a hand to the closed casket. As he did, the caretaker peeked inside, and closed the lid.

"It's okay, he's still here," the grim looking man stated in his same bored deep voice.

"You could at least act like it's nice to see each other!" Mabel said, completely ignoring the caretaker, who shrugged and took his place behind the casket.

"I never said it wasn't!"

"You-"

"Hey!" a voice shouted as the doors slammed open, and Soos entered the front doors. "Sorry I'm late!" he peered the scene as the twins glared at one another," oh, you guys totally beat me in the fancy attire, you know that?" he said, admitting to his outfit, which was his exact same one from earlier, with a single black bow-tie attached to the rim of his t-shirt.

"It's okay, Soos," Dipper said as he turned with a weak smile to his old friend," I don't think there is any real formal attire," he added with a strong look at his sister, who returned the glare.

"Well good," a familiar voice called from behind Soos, catching the attentions of both twins," because I would have felt, like, soo bad if there was."

"Wendy!" the twins shouted in unison.

"Sup dudes," Wendy Corduroy waved a hand as she stepped past Soos. Mabel rushed forward and slammed into the tall girl with a squeezing hug. "Wow, missed that much, huh?"

"It's great to see you again, Wendy," Dipper said as he approached her, extending an arm with a wide smile.

"Psh, get over here," she laughed at him, and with a quick clutch of his arm, and Dipper was tossed against Wendy and Mabel in a larger hug.

The two stepped away from their hug, and got a good look at Wendy. She seemed surprisingly the same, much like Soos did. This surprised Dipper considering the age difference between the handyman and the student employee. Her green eyes shone with appreciation as she looked between the two. Her outfit was scarily similar to how the twins remembered, with blue jeans, a green plaid shirt and white undershirt, with her lumberjack hat covering the top of her long bright red hair

"Holy crud you two got taller!" she said, putting a hand atop their heads, which were now an inch or two shorter than hers. "Neither of you are the cute pre-teens that I remembered!"

"I wasn't cute," Dipper said with a huffy grin, but Mabel smacked his shoulder.

"You sneezed like kittens," she told him.

"Do you still?" Wendy demanded, and Dipper's face went pink. "Oh man, that's great!" she laughed with Mabel," well dude, at least you're starting to look your part."

"H-huh?" Dipper asked, going from pink to red.

"You're gotten all mature looking," she said with a clap against his shoulder," do you have some chin-hair there?" She winked as she walked past him, and Dipper was left scratching his chin and feeling a light fluttering in his stomach.

"I will assume that since the count of individuals present has doubled," the caretaker stated aloud," that we can proceed with the ceremony?" The four took their seats, with Dipper and Mabel still sitting apart. "Very good." He approached a podium just behind the casket as cleared his throat, and Wendy and Soos both lowered their hats.

"Dearly... gathered," he began," we are... gathered for the joint gathering of Stanley Pines, who has left this town before his time was mostly up, and we wish to remember him before he left before his time was mostly up," the man said dully. The twins realized this was probably the worst funeral speaker that had ever spoken in the history of speakers. "And we are, of course, pleased to see the attendance of so many who cared for dear Stan."

"This is so touching," Soos said as he wiped away a single tear running down his face.

"The secrets that Stan Pines held in his..." the man held up a printed of page from the internet about the Mystery Shack," 'world famous Mystery Shack' was a key factor in the town of Gravity Falls seeing many visitors during the summer. With this, the town, however entirely not present, thanks him."

"I would now welcome any of the members of the family to say a passionate word or two, but as seeing there are only two, I suppose anyone who wishes may speak. You have the podium," the man took several steps back, tipped on a wire, and bounced back up without a single bit of recognition to his falling.

"Eh," Dipper said, but straightened his shirt and stood up, and walked over to the podium. Once there, he adjusted the microphone, and looked to the three, and then to the casket before him.

"Well, I'm not going to pretend Grunkle Stan was perfect. He was far from it, really," Dipper started, rubbing the back of his head," and we all know that he was kind of a jerk sometimes. But I remember more than the times he was a jerk the times he was truly a good man. Where he decided he would stop being mean and help those around him; not because it got him a buck, but because it made everyone feel better."

"So true!" Soos bawled and blew his nose into an already tear-soaked handkerchief.

"This is the man who helped myself and Mabel really discover a lot about who we are, and what we want from life," Dipper said, a meaningful glance at his sister, who finally decided to give him the satisfaction of looking back," and for that, and his endless support, even when he shouldn't have... like the time we fell into the bottomless pit-"

"Say what?" Wendy asked.

"Or the time he let us do our own crime scene investigation for a wax figurine which led us to fight off a horde of cursed celebrity figurines, or the time he helped us break into a mini-golf course late at night-"

"Dude," Wendy leaned up to be behind Mabel," I missed out on all that?"

"But that's what made him so great," Dipper continued," it wasn't about what was legal or safe, it was about what we, as kids and growing teens, needed. So, Grunkle Stan," Dipper turned and his lips trembled for a moment," thanks for everything."

Soos shot up and clapped while sobbing. Mabel and Wendy also stood and applauded as Dipper took his seat, and put his face into his hands.

"Well, I guess I'm next," Mabel said with a confident grin, and approached the podium," wish me luck!"

"Good luck," Wendy said as the teenager approached and turned to face the three.

"Well, thank you all for coming here today. You know, I had a worrying thought that no one would show up for this event, but we all killed that idea, didn't we!?" Mabel raised her eyebrows and winked around like a bad stand up comedian. Wendy's mouth fell open, and Dipper's eyes twitched horribly as he stared at her.

"That was hilarious," Soos chuckled," and in a totally insensitive, yet clever, way. You go girl!"

"Insensitive? Please," Mabel pulled the microphone away from the stand, which broke off a plate of wood, and then the entire podium crashed to the ground, splitting apart," huh, whoops- but anyway, I'm not being insensitive, guys! I'm just here to break the news!"

"Mabel, don't do it," Dipper asked aloud, begging her to stop.

"Guys, be prepared to feel amazement, as," Mabel moved towards the casket, and prepped to push the lid open," I show you the truth!"

"MABEL!" Dipper shot up.

"TADAH!" Mabel roared as she tossed the lid off, and displayed the contents. Dipper's face lost all of its color, and Wendy appeared to be in total shock. Soos stared while nodding his head.

"Yeah, he looks dead all right," Soos said as he looked inside the coffin.

Mabel turned slowly to the unmoving body, and stared at it. There he was, Grunkle Stan, unmoving, pale, arms across his chest with his hat and glasses removed. He looked exactly the same since they last saw him, with his grey five o-clock shadow on his chin and cheeks.

"C'mon Grunkle Stan, don't leave me hanging," Mabel whispered behind her. There was no response. "Okay, the joke is over now, Grunkle Stan, old buddy," she said out loud, harder and more deliberate than before.

"Mabel," Dipper said, walking past her for the lid," lets put this back on."

"But- but he's not," Mabel pointed to the body," he's just being... a jerk!" she shouted, and turned towards the casket and nearly clutched Grunkle Stans arms," you're not actually dead! I know it! You big liar-faced jerk!"

"Mabel!?" Wendy shot up as Dipper ran to his sister.

"Woah!" Soos called out as well. "No one freak out, its just a body!"

"Mabel, calm down!" Dipper shouted as he approached her, trying to put a hand on her shoulders, but she shook them off and suddenly ran down the aisle, past Wendy and Soos and out the doors. "Damn it!"

Without another word to Wendy or Soos, Dipper charged after his sister. The sun light struck him harshly and his hand rose above his head to shield himself from the light. He heard the sounds of running steps against dirt, and he saw a skirt fade behind several trees. He ran after her, and as the light became filtered in the pines and leaves of the forest above him, he found her, facing a stream of water sitting behind a large tree trunk.

"Mabel?" he asked her from where he was.

"I'm just an idiot, aren't I?" Mabel asked with a trembling voice from her spot, wrapping her feet in her own arms.

"I... I wouldn't say you're an idiot," Dipper said as he stepped closer.

"He really is gone, isn't he?" she asked aloud. Dipper couldn't bring himself to say it again. "I couldn't see it even when he was right there," she said, looking up to the canopy of the forest," that he's really gone. I just felt, with every bone in my body, that he wasn't dead. No matter who or what told me the opposite, I knew it. I'm so dumb."

"You know..." Dipper sat down next to her, and looked to the small stream of water," I kind of felt the same way."

"You- you did?" Mabel looked to her brother and shoved him down before shouting," well why didn't you tell me!?"

"Because I didn't want to be hurt again!" Dipper desperately explained. Mabel looked to him for a long moment, and then back to the water," I... one day, I just sort of felt like he was fine, and all it took was a phone call telling me he died, with the backing of the cops here and I... I didn't know what to think, you know?"

"Humph," Mabel pouted, resting her head on her arms. He watched her with sad eyes as she suffered exactly as he had. That was enough for him at least let her in on his feelings.

"If I accepted that he was dead, I figured maybe I could get past that pain quicker. I... didn't know how'd far you really go, thinking that he was still sticking around," Dipper sadly admitted," and I didn't want to see you get hurt."

"I don't think you can help me avoid this one, bro," Mabel admitted. The two sat there, staring at the stream together, the water trickling down rocks and pebbles, splashing gently as time passed. Mabels head turned and found itself resting on her brothers shoulder, who in turn let his rest on her head.

"I've really missed you," Dipper said quietly.

"Me too," Mabel responded.

"Guys?" a voice called from the parking lot of the funeral home, and the two craned their heads around to see Wendy, followed by Soos, coming after them," are you two okay?"

"I think so," Dipper shrugged," just as well as we can be I guess."

"That sounds right," Mabel said as she stood up, brushing pine needles off her legs and skirt.

"You two totally don't have to go in there if you don't want to," Wendy told them strongly," if it's too much for you."

"How about it, Mabes?" Dipper asked his sister, who grinned and nodded," we got it."

"Oh good, because I don't like that caretaker standing by Stan one bit. Kind of looks like a skinny vampire, like he actually sleeps here in the left over coffins or something," Soos admitted," and I totally didn't want to go back in there alone."

The four left the edge of the woods and re-entered the parking lot of the Funeral Home. As Dipper exited, he noticed only three vehicles.

"Hey, Wendy," Dipper asked as he and Mabel exited with their arms wrapped around their shoulders," how did you get here? I don't see your... uh, car? Bike?"

"Oh, Soos picked me up, man," Wendy told him.

"Yeah, spotted her walking over, and decided I'd offer the lift. It's dangerous to be walking around the woods alone, you know," Soos told Wendy, who rolled her eyes.

"I can handle myself, you know that," she told her co-worker.

"True, but you know who else could handle himself? Gandhi," Soos said with certainty," and you know what happened to him? He's dead."

The others laughed as the approached the funeral home once again. The caretaker stood outside, his arms folded behind his back as he glared at the four as they made their return.

"If we may conclude the services before sundown, please," the tall man stepped backwards inside as he faced them.

"Told ya," Soos whispered to the others," really creepy."

"Now, since my podium and the coffin has both been destroyed by your actions," the caretaker told them," I will permit you only to speak from this distance to the body of Mister Pines. No closer, understood?"

"Of course sir," Dipper nodded, and looked past him towards the coffin, and noticed a single touch from the scene missing," sir, did you move something back there?"

"Excuse me?" the man asked in deadly tones to Dipper, who looked around, unsure if he had said something offensive," are you questioning my buildings conditions?"

"Uh... no, where did you move Grunkle Stan's body?" Dipper pointed past the man towards the coffin.

The four looked around him and the tall man turned, and all were shocked to find that, indeed, Stanley Pines had vanished. The caretaker moved closer to the casket, uncertain as to what to do or say, and then he rounded on the others.

"Which of you did this!?" he demanded as he towered over the others. Soos quickly gasped and ran for the bathroom as he grabbed a crucifix from the wall. "I... I will not stand for this ridiculousness anymore! I want to know who put you up to this sordid prank!"

"Sir, this isn't any kind of prank!" Dipper exclaimed.

"Yeah, we didn't move anything!" Mabel also added.

"Then explain that!" he pointed to the coffin once again, and the three were agape without an answer. "I'll... I'll make you all-"

"Back, undead fiend!"

A tin bucket filled with freezing water and a large crucifix slammed into the tall man's head. He collapsed to the floor instantly, soaking his clothes in cold water. He still breathed, but his tongue lolled out and his eyes were no longer straight.

"Soos!?" Dipper called.

"Uh... just wanted to be sure it wasn't a vampire, you know," Soos said from across the room by the bathroom where he had just hurled the bucket," holy water and a crucifix?"

"Nice shot!" Mabel congratulated her friend.

"I don't think that's what got him down, to be honest," Wendy said out loud," I think that was the bucket's job mostly."

The four moved the tall man to the side, and then turned back. The casket was still empty, and what was more, there were no signs of a struggle or markings that indicated he was dragged away.

"Okay guys," Dipper said out loud," we need to figure this out. Each of us needs to look inside one of the rooms, and scan around for any kind of evidence to suggest where Grunkle Stan went. Wendy, check outside around the building," he pointed to the tall redhead," Mabel, check the office," Mabel saluted as Dipper pointed to her," and Soos, stay here and guard this guy while I look through the other smaller rooms."

"You got it bud," Soos nodded, and then gave the unconscious man a scrutinizing stare. The other three began scanning the rooms. Minutes passed as they scanned every shelf, every corner, under the bed and desk, under the seats, in the bathroom stalls, under trees, and even on the roof, and yet they found nothing. Finally they came back, and Soos was now guarding the conscious and frightened tall man, who was staring at Soos with fear.

"What do you all want? Money? I have only a little," he admitted fearfully to the four as they loomed over him.

"Whose blood have you drained?" Soos asked quickly, poking the man in his head with a glove of garlic he somehow procured. "Come quietly and there won't be any need for biblical passages."

"Blood? E-excuse me?!" the caretaker said as he winced with each poke.

"Soos, hold on," Dipper said, stepping closer," who else is here?"

"There should only be us!" the man cried out. As soon as he had, there was a rustling outside, and the four turned towards the door. Wendy was first out, bolting for the door like her life depended on it. When she arrived outside, she scanned around as Soos and Dipper gave chase.

"I... I don't see anything," Dipper stated as he breathed quickly.

"I could have sworn we heard some sort of footsteps," Soos admitted.

"We did," Wendy told them firmly, her face screwed up as she tried peering through the trees," but I checked everywhere outside, and there was no one here man!"

"Hey guys!" Mabel called from inside, and the three turned. She was bent below the casket platform, and was reaching under a wrapping of small curtains. When she stood up, she held up something very peculiar in both hands.

"Well," Dipper said with a quick sigh and rubbed the side of his head," I think we have ourselves a mystery. Haven't been back for a full day and we're about to get into another mystery, aren't we?"

"Yup!" Mabel said happily, holding in one hand a faint almost transparent white string, and in the other what appeared to be a small solid cylinder of a faint blue color that was transparent, yet hummed a cool white light as she waved it around. "Look guys! I'm a Jedi! VRHHMMM VRHHMMM!" she shouted as she swung the object around with her hand.

The four returned to the mystery shack hastily after their discovery of the two objects. The only delay they had was with Soos, who decided that to ensure 'no hard feelings', would offer the caretaker a big bag of garlic and onion flavored nacho chips. It was then the caretaker screamed for them to leave before the authorities got involved, and they took their cue to leave.

The group were collected in the gift shop. Dipper and Soos stared at the blue cylinder and string on the counter while Wendy leaned against the wall, going though a mental list of who would do this, and who could. Mabel was busy drawing a crude sketch of the funeral home.

"Boy... dudes, I have no idea," Soos admitted after a while of staring. "That sort of thing isn't like anything I've really seen before."

"It kind of looks like a battery, doesn't it?" Wendy said, looking down from the ceiling to observe the object.

"Yeah, but for what? And what kind of battery emits light?" Dipper scratched his cap, now sitting on his head.

"Maybe its an alien tube used for mini-men transport!" Mabel guessed from the floor, where she continued to doodle the building happily.

"Aliens? I'd prefer faeries. At least you can squash them if you can catch them," Soos admitted," but Aliens have all that crazy technology."

"Let's not jump to any conclusions yet," Dipper called aloud.

"Yeah," Wendy agreed," besides, we already have, like, a hundred people who would want to potentially mess around with Stan when he was alive. Why add someone to the list now?"

"Exactly," Dipper pointed to Wendy, and then held up the two objects," and all we have is a glowing transparent battery and a white piece of string. Mabel, you got that map yet?"

"Yup!" she stood up from the floor and placed the large paper down. The map itself was, for the most part correct, but many exaggerations had been added, such as the rainbow-unicorn stampede behind the building, and the hovering smiley faces that were added everywhere.

"A unique design!" Soos commented with a nod of approval.

"I like to consider myself a potential interior/exterior designer," Mabel grinned as she spun two colored pencils between her fingers.

"So, let's get this started: Mabel and I ran out here, by these woods," Dipper pointed," and you two eventually followed, having the Caretaker stand by the door waiting for us. This means that there was an approximate," he counted with his fingers as he looked up, thinking," seven minute window while we were outside, and the caretaker wasn't looking, for someone to hide away the body-"

"Or steal it. We can't rule out theft here," Wendy added.

"Right, or stole him. Which, if Mabel, you got this right," Dipper gave his twin a uncertain look," there were only two doors that could have been used. We had the caretaker at the front door, and since he didn't seem like he knew what was going on, I think we can rule out for now he was involved with this."

"Sounds good," Soos stated.

"Which unless Grunkle Stan decided to get up and walk out himself, means whoever took the body used the door here, by the emergency exit," Dipper pointed to the main ceremony hall, where a small red mark by a door and a frowny face labeled the emergency door," and the alarm wasn't activated."

"So whoever did this has a little background into trespassing," Wendy stated aloud. Mabel suddenly gasped.

"Guys, we're forgetting something really important!" she exclaimed and pointed to the office and bathrooms," there are open windows in all these rooms."

"Those windows weren't that big," Dipper argued.

"You really think one person was able to carry out Grunkle Stan, and not make a sound?" Mabel argued with a knowing look to the others," he was a big guy."

"If it wasn't one person, then who?" Soos asked.

"Not who... what," Dipper reached instinctively under his vest for a book that wasn't there, and groaned," right. They're locked away somewhere here."

"One second dude," Soos grinned and left the counter, retrieving a set of keys from his pocket as he walked away.

"Is there anything we can rule out, at least?" Wendy tried.

"Sure. Gobblewonker!" Mabel proclaimed.

"Technically true, but really far from on target," Dipper commented, and faced the drawing," it's hard to say. Probably anything brutish or big bodied, so giant creatures are less likely. So it would have to be human sized or smaller or lighter."

"What, no big bellied dwarves?" Mabel poked her brother in the gut.

"If they were heavy enough, wouldn't their footsteps have echoed or creaked the wooden floors?" Dipper asked to his sister.

"It was carpeted in some areas," Wendy pointed out. Dipper sighed, frustrated with their multitude of unclear leads. He was totally uncertain of how to approach this one. Mabel leaned closer to her picture, and added a series of lines protruding around the center of the casket.

"To emphasize missing person," she admitted with smile.

"Got it!" Soos called as he stepped inside, holding the fabled and mysterious Journal three.

"Awesome!" Dipper grabbed the journal from his friend, and placed it down, immediately opening it up. "Okay, lets put a limit on the size of creature that can fit inside without being noticed," Dipper said around," maybe like... a hundred pounds?" The others nodded and he began to flip pages.

"Gnomes?" Soos pointed," they're small and light-weighted. They wouldn't be spotted if they were being sneaky."

"And they can cluster together to do evil-nasty-deeds," Mabel agreed, pointing to the page," aaaand they don't like us."

"Definitely true, but they wouldn't have much incentive to steal uncle Stan, would they?" Dipper replied, staring at the page of gnome facts," why wouldn't they just come for us when we were in the woods?"

"So... four out of ten on the possible suspect rating?" Soos asked, holding a sharpie up to map.

"You can added it here on the stalls," Mabel pointed to the bathrooms," that the happy faces know which stalls they are looking for."

"What about ghosts?" Dipper asked, passing a single page on ghosts.

"Yeah, right," Wendy laughed.

"Why not?" Dipper asked her, and she gave him a look.

"That funeral home is new, man. Don't people have to die inside the place to haunt them?"

"I... uh, it does state here that 'while hauntings do tend to stay within the area of ones death, cases of ghostly activity have been recorded outside of an expected region," Dipper read aloud. Wendy looked displeased, but said nothing.

"If it was a ghost though, wouldn't it be Mister Pines?" Soos asked.

"Pfft, I'm just going to take this one over," Mabel said, pulling the book to her and whipping pages ahead until she stopped, nodded, and held it for the others to see," I think we can agree this puts our other suspects at the bottom of the list."

"Faeries? Really?" Dipper asked his sister.

"Well, Dipper, look at your evidence," she pointed to the two objects," we have a pretty glowy thingy. Faeries like sparkles, like me, and I like that thing, so I think that whatever that battery thing is could have come from a faerie."

"Your logic is sound," Soos nodded.

"And as for that," Mabel grabbed the string and began to analyze it, feeling it between her fingers, and then rubbing it on her face.

"Is... there any purpose for doing that?" Dipper asked his sister, who then sniffed it.

"Woah, I feel like all intellectual now," she stated, holding it away," it smells funky smart."

"What does that even-" Dipper started, but Mabel quickly shoved one end of the string into his nose, and he nearly gagged," Eugh!" he coughed and wiped his nose, but stalled," wait... she's not kidding, I recognize that smell!"

"Let me try," Soos asked, and was handed the string. After a sniff, he nodded," hmm... bookworm. That's what I get," And Soos took one end, and quickly bit off a chunk. The others stared at him as he chewed," hmm, it is really sweet though. Kind of makes me... oh, right, sorry dudes," he apologized with a chuckle.

"It tastes sweet!?" Mabel demanded and ripped some off for herself, and took a bite that nearly ripped it in half.

"Guys!" Dipper took the rest away," we need this!"

"It's like what I've always imagined real brain food tastes like... sweet but with a scent of hard studying," Mabel pondered as she chewed.

Dipper took a look at the string in his hand, and put it closer to his eye. At close proximity, he could actually see that the tiny filaments that entwined together to make the string were melting.

"What melts when in contact with saliva, is sweet, and has strong scents?" Dipper asked to himself.

"Candy?" Wendy proposed quickly. Dipper turned to her, and then looked to the string. "You really think its some bad joke candy, like those nasty tasting jelly blocks?"

"This isn't a jelly block," Dipper proclaimed, excitement flooding through him," but I think I know where we can find out what it really is. It does say Faeries like sweet things... Isn't there a candy store in town?" he asked to Soos and Wendy.

"Yup. On main street- been open here forever! Maybe if we find out what this is, we can discover who's been using it!" Soos proclaimed. Dipper quickly got up and made for the door.

"Yeah! Part two of the new mystery twin investigation; codename sticky smart!" Mabel cheered as she followed her brother. The twins had made it to the door when they realized their footsteps were alone. "You guys don't want to tag along?" Mabel spun quickly after she peeked behind her.

"Well, it may be a smart idea to stay here too," Soos stated thoughtfully," especially if this person has Mister Pines. They could come looking for his stuff!"

"Dudes, you two got it," Wendy told them leaning her back against the cash register," just remember- don't do anything stupid, without telling us later, okay?"

Dipper looked between the two of them, and slid open his phone from his pocket.

"Wait, you have a cell phone?" Mabel asked Dipper with awe. "Mom spoils you!"

"I had, like, four clubs. I needed to update her on stuff I was doing," Dipper told her as he stepped up to the others," Soos, you have your phone still right?"

"Yup!" Soos stated and held out his phone for inspection, a contraption of older times barely kept alive by an assortment of duct-tape and hopes.

"Here's my number," Dipper showed them the properties of the phone and the number listed to both Wendy and Soos," text me and I'll make sure we can stay in contact."

"Gotcha buddy!" Soos nodded as he typed one button at a time, as Wendy casually flipped out her own phone and was able to easily punch in the number twice as fast as Soos could. After a moment, Dipper got two messages, one reading 'heya bud :)', and the other reading 'ur a dorkface :-p'.

"Nice," Dipper smiled at the two," well, we'll let you know what we uncover."

"Stay safe you two," Soos told them as he watched them leave, worry flickering in his eyes.

"If you end up beating anyone up, punch them once for me, okay?" Wendy shouted after them as they ran to their rides and drove off.

* * *

><p>Well damn it, there goes my plans to update every two weeks... Amendment- This series will be updated every weekend because I CAN'T STOP WRITING THIS. SEND HELP.<p>

Hi again guys! We're back in Gravity Falls once more. Does it feel nice, or what? It does, it does, you don't need to answer that one. XD

So, I've realized these chapters are going to be the largest I've written at average length. This is about the size you all should be expecting per 'half-episode' as it is. And if you missed from the note from the Prologue, this series is going to be ten episodes, so twenty 'chapters' like this one.

Huh. I feel like I'm missing something... can't quite pin it down.

Old Man McGucket: But her aim is getting better! Hyuk hyuk!

GAH! You, get out of my... wait, how did you get into my room?

Old Man McGucket: I used that fancy hole in the wall that this here sir made for me- (McGucket motions to a previously unseen Yeti hiding in the corner, frozen in pose)

...All I see is a blurry outline from a picture. (The Yeti, enraged at the poor reference, roars and attacks EZB) OH GOD! HELP! (The Yeti tosses EZB out the window with a crash)

Old Man McGucket: See ya'll good folk next time-a week!


	3. Summer, Idle No More: Part 2

Within half an hour, the twins had made considerably no progress towards their mission. Their first stop had been to the police station, where they were greeted less than warmly. Being related to Stanley Pines put them as trouble-makers, in the police records, and when they came to the station, announcing the body of their Grand Uncle had been stolen, the attending officer scoffed at them.

With little to no help from the authorities, they turned their attention to the strange flossy-material. They made their way towards the candy store, and found themselves interrogating an old pudgy man, a red face and balding hair. Dipper was quick to begin interrogating the shopkeeper, who immediately was uncomfortable with the sudden and direct accusations Dipper made with the string. Mabel was quite the useful counter to Dipper's forwardness, as she constantly proclaimed the shop-keeper as Santa, and even managed to buy an entire filled-to-the-brim bag of candy. As Dipper spoke, Mabel had more and more candy that, eventually having eaten five jumbo sized gummy koalas and a bag of sugar-sand.

"I think I see the particles of air now," was the first thing Mabel said as she stepped out of the shop with her brother," they just keep bumping into each other and away, except they can't, because another little guy smashes into them too- it just keeps going and going and going..."

"Uh... you're not going to finish your bag, are you?" Dipper asked with concern, looking to the bag Mabel held at her side, still filled with different candy. Her reply was to reach inside and slap into her open mouth a handful of gummy-snakes and Dipper looked to his sister with worry. "If you get sick, its on you."

"So what boring thing did you find out while... I think I can see into space," Mabel whispered as she suddenly stared up into the sky, and began to smile. Dipper sighed as he watched her gasp and her eyes dilated as she then bent down at looked at the ground.

"It's sugar-floss. It's not really meant to be eaten, but it's great for air-fresheners. You dye it with scents, and they are supposed to just stay fresh forever," Dipper explained, sniffing what remained of the sugar-floss. "No idea why this one smells like... I don't know from what, but I know this smell! Like... clean something! New... something!"

"GIMME," Mabel rumbled and snatched the floss from her brother.

"Hey!" he shouted as she tossed her candy into the open window of his car, and got onto her bike, and he stepped to her," are you sure you should be on a bike at all?"

"There never could be a better time. Dipper," she placed a hand on his shoulder," the time is nigh. Now we charge FORTH!" she shouted as she turned the bike on, and sped forward, nearly hitting her brother and spinning onto the sidewalk before riding back onto the street. Dipper yelped as he dodged her advance and ran to get into his car. She was already down the street when he was able to start after her.

What followed for a few minutes was among the stranger things Dipper and Mabel had done. At the center of each cross or end of a street, Mabel would halt for a moment, hold the string to her face, sniff, and wave her head around. She combed the air like a bloodhound for the same scent that the two seemed to know, yet could not define.

It was by the last street when Dipper was beginning to lose faith in his sister's nose. They had made their way through the entire town, lead by a single string, and the will of his twin sister. No sooner had Dipper been ready to pull over and try waving her down to try looking elsewhere when she stopped suddenly. She turned left and right, sniffing the air, and finally spotted something. Dipper drove slowly up to her side, and looked to her pointing finger.

"A truck?" Dipper asked as he stared to a shipping truck parked by the road," not exactly what I imagined for the smell-"

"Nooo," Mabel put a finger to his lips as she looked in the direction," smell harder... you see, it lives behind the truck," she said with deep wisdom.

It was the only kind of luck the two could have; a gust of wind came by and that same scent hit Dippers nostrils. He gasped and realized he was looking past the truck to the building behind it; a library.

"Books! Fresh, newly opened books! That's what the smell is!" Dipper grinned wildly as he and his sister nodded slowly with deep gratification. "Find a parking spot and then we should pop inside!"

"I think I can do that," Mabel nodded with an open slightly crooked mouth, and her eyes zoomed out of focus.

"Mabel?" Dipper asked with uncertainty," are you... okay?"

Mabel was, for lack of a better word, sort of okay. The world buzzed and zoomed around her as lights that would normally find perfectly normal were spectacular bursts of color that shook her to the core. Even as a man approached her on the opposite sidewalk, the hideous proportions of the man's face erupted like tsunami's of sight. Her hand twitched at the sight of Toby Determined, one of the local reporters, and her biked sputtered forward for a moment.

"Woah... uh, just take it slow-" Dipper started, but then Mabel screeched and her hand slid forward. The bike roared ahead and slammed into a stop-sign, and she flew off into the short and unsuspecting and very ugly man, who shrieked as she flew at him. "MABEL!" Dipper yelled got out and ran over to her as quickly as he could.

"I'm good!" Mabel stood up, and walked over a stunned and discombobulated Toby Determined, who was groaning on the ground, his eyes unfocused and spinning.

"Dang... uh," Dipper said after looking around," I'll just help you here... and uh, maybe you should get some ice? Maybe?" Dipper asked as he lifted up the shorter man and gently lifted him to the side to rest against the building. The ugly reporter's bulbous eyes became unfocused and closed, and he began to snore as he rested against the building.

After checking the status of her bike, which was miraculously fine despite hitting the stop sign, the two entered the library. Like many of the buildings in gravity falls, it was surprisingly large on the inside. Mabel took a deep whiff of the string and then of the air around her. As she let go the air with a sign, she looked to her brother and nodded.

"This smells exactly the same," she told him.

"Great... but why would someone want to dye string to smell like a library?" Dipper asked as he peered around.

"Can I help you?" a voice asked from behind them. The two turned and found a woman with glasses that truly threw her proportions horribly. Her eyes bugged out like crazy, giving her an insect like stare.

"Wow!" Mabel gasped and stared at her," your glasses are amazing."

"Mabel," Dipper elbowed her gut.

"You think so?" the middle aged woman asked, adjusting her thick glasses," I just tend to think it makes me scary looking. Kids won't come in anymore unless I put these away."

"They make you magnanimous," Mabel told her with a grin. The woman smiled gently, her raven black hair with silver streaks shining in the light above her. "Hey," Mabel added," what does this smell like to you?" Mabel asked her suddenly, and held the string to the woman. She looked to it, and gave it a quick sniff.

"Why, it is lovely," the librarian stated.

"What does it make you think of?" Dipper asked quickly, not wanting to miss the chance at getting something close to a professional opinion.

"Like a freshly opened novel, or perhaps a sixth edition textbook, or maybe a new popular magazine," the woman began to list, a happy smile as she dreamt about that smell.

"Well, thanks Miss Eye-sore," Mabel said with a thumbs up. Dipper quickly smacked the back of her head. "Ow! Hey!"

"She didn't mean any disrespect miss..." Dipper than read the nametag on her librarian outfit- Isoar," oh."

"I beg your pardon?" Miss Isoar asked. Dipper shook his head awkwardly to the librarian, and found a cross Mabel staring at him.

"My bad- ouch!" Dipper barked as she gave him a hard flick upside his nose. Mabel turned from the desk and marched into the shop- Dipper followed, massaging his harmed nose. As they peered down the shelves of books, posters flickered past them, ranging from "Mystery Shack Re-Opening," to "The Life of a Treasure Hunter" and other odd advertisements.

"I think I saw that one somewhere else in town," Dipper pointed to the treasure hunter advertisement.

"Dipper, come here," Mabel stated with a trailing voice. Dipper turned from the small poster, and walked to his sister, who was standing in a reading clearing, with several worn couches and love seats. "Do you feel something?" she asked him.

As he stepped closer he looked around. There was something off about where they were. Suddenly one of his hairs fell out from under his hat, and gently swayed back and forth before him. He pulled gently at it, and then stared at his sister. Her hair was also swaying gently back and forth.

"It's drafty," Dipper realized," why would it be drafty here?"

"Well, duh," Mabel poked a tongue at her brother," there is a secret passage somewhere."

"In a public library? I think it's more likely that the building just sucks at air flow design than... but..." Dipper found Mabel giving him a look, and he cut out his own second guessing, and decided to look around," lets try finding the source of the wind."

"Yeah!" Mabel exclaimed as the two took to different shelves, and began to feel around the books and the air between aisles. "Hey Dip?" Mabel asked as they moved down one together.

"Yeah?"

"So... when we figure out... whatever this turns out to be," Mabel started," what do you think we should do?"

Dipper turned to face her from the other side of an aisle, looking at her with uncertainty. In his mind, he knew the answer that comforted him the most, but wasn't sure if he wanted to tell her. Yet he had no better answer than the single truth.

"I guess we'll bury Grunkle Stan, and go home," Dipper said simply as he turned away, looking as deliberately as he could towards other books around him.

Mabel stared at him as he did, and leaned back against another shelf, not interested in the search anymore. She had been anticipating that answer, and hearing it didn't do any job of making her feel better. She missed her brother more than she had ever realized, and now, watching from across the bookshelf, she saw a part of herself that she had been missing for two years.

Her mind considered the idea of even throwing off the investigation. If they were to keep looking for Stan, maybe she could get him to stay around a bit longer, and she could enjoy her own twin brothers company. Yet her guilt overrode this thought. She wanted this business with Grunkle Stan over; it wouldn't be fair to let his body just sit around if they had the chance to save it and give it a proper rest. Yet she could feel herself still argue that. Deep inside, her darn stubbornness told her as long as she felt like he was still around, he was.

"Yeah, I guess so," Mabel finally said as she turned from the shelf and continued looking. Minutes passed in silence; Dipper checked the rows of books while Mabel scanned the side shelves, staring at each cover with scrutiny. Suddenly Mabel got a tiny gust of wind in her eyeball and she gasped.

"What is it?" Dipper called from a distant row, yet very capable of hearing her.

"I think I was just blinded to the truth!" Mabel sneered as she realized that the particular set of shelves she was staring at was its own individual unit. Dipper trotted over quickly, and with one looked nodded his head. All the books were fresh and new, and in fact, the title of this arrangement was 'Fresh Arrivals'.

"That could be it," he stated. Then, as he felt his hands around the sides of the unit, he found something. His fingers felt a detached fabric of some sort, and tugged at it. A long pale string came undone and soon fluttered in the newly strengthened breeze. "It is definitely here."

"Step back!" Mabel declared, pushing Dipper away with a bold hand. She placed herself directly before the shelf, and with a commanding boom roared," OPEN SESAME!"

"I do love that quote," the Librarian called from the front of the store, followed by a

strong and harsh 'shh'. The bookshelf remained motionless. Dipper and Mabel exchanged looks, and approached the wood. Little to no indication of change was present, and Mabel tried tugging it to her.

"If this thing does move, it's locked down real tight," she told her brother, who nodded.

"Maybe its not a auditory command, but a puzzle," he guessed, and looked around to the books. He spotted one particularly outstanding and grinned. "Ah, a big mistake to choose such a well known classic," he said as he reached for e dark black covered book," Dracula." He retrieved the book, and pulled it from its resting spot. Nothing followed. Dipper's hand fell from its pose, and he angrily put it back. "Maybe... this one," he pulled out a book with a cover of men in futuristic suits of armor and weapons. Still nothing.

Dipper continued ripping books off the shelf and putting them back for minutes before he angrily paced back and forth, wondering if there was something he was missing. As he paced, mumbling to himself, Mabel leaned closer. Just behind the shelf she swore she heard something. A ticking sound, like Clockwork.

"Maybe it's a multi-lock system," Dipper guessed aloud.

Her heart raced at the idea of a bomb, but none of the books had any kind of triggering system, so he wondered what the source of that ticking sound was. Dipper growled and scraped his scalp in frustration when she spotted a single book, so boring sounding and dull that it caused her to groan.

"But there would be more than one region of draft if there was... did we miss one?" Dipper continued.

"Standard Dusting Procedures," she gagged as she read the spine cover. Without a hint of regard for the book, she clutched it and yanked it down. With a quick click, the ticking sound stopped.

"Dipper," Mabel called to her brother.

"Huh?" he asked, brought out of his train of thought.

"I... just removed his book. Wanna bet something happens when I put it back?" Mabel grinned, wiggling the book in mid air. Dipper took her jest the wrong way, and angrily snatched the book from her hand.

"I'm working on it," he hissed at her and then he placed it back hurriedly. He turned to continue his pacing when a very loud scrape of metal emanated from behind the wall. Dipper stalled in his steps, and the two of them watched as the bookshelf slid back into the wall, and descended into the ground. Before them was a rough and rugged tunnel of wooden boards and exposed earth around them that lead down, illuminated by construction lanterns.

"Cue draft," Mabel gleamed cockily as the wind fell out, passing the two. The dull scent of dug earth billowed past as well.

"Here," Dipper pointed to the floor, where a layer of white floss-like string lay," maybe it was to mask the smell of... whatever this is," Dipper wondered as he examined the string below him.

"Wanna find out what 'it' is?" Mabel grinned at her brother, who returned a worried look. Mabel took the first step inside, and Dipper, after hearing the cranks and cogs that operated the door starting to turn to life once more, rushed inside with his sister. The shelf closed behind them with a snap, and they both spotted an obvious lever that would operate the mechanism.

"Wow, this brings back some memories," Mabel excitedly said as she led the way, peering ahead in the tunnels. Dipper checked his phone, and sighed.

"No signal. We're totally cut off from the surface down here," he announced to Mabel, who just shrugged.

"We got out of worse stuff than this without a cell phone," she reminded him. Dipper checked his phone once more, and slid it away, hurrying after his sister. The cave was slowly more and more exposed rock and dirt than boards and panels. Eventually, they came to a new entrance. There, a set of metal tracks lead them one of two ways.

"We're in the mines now," Dipper said quietly, uncertain of what could await as he looked both ways.

"Lets go to the right," Mabel declared.

"Wait," Dipper held her back for a moment," maybe we should head back. Get Soos or Wendy to come down here. For all we know, this could be what we're looking for, and if we don't have backup, we could-"

"Dipper," Mabel turned to face him, and placed a hand on his shoulder," trust me. Trust us, okay?"

Dipper gave her a look, and then peered down the long winded path ahead. His heart skipped a beat at the idea of harm befalling himself, or more importantly, his sister. Yet her eyes shone with that same brilliant strength they had her entire life, and he sighed with a smirk.

"Lead the way, lady adventurer," Dipper told her, and she stood straight, saluted, did a one hundred eighty degree turn, and marched ahead.

The two walked for what could have been an hour, watching the path of the tracks lead through curves and waves in the earth. Their footsteps echoed as they watched ahead for any signs of life, sounds of movement, or strange smells. It wasn't until Mabel spotted an end to their present curvature that the two stopped.

Ahead was a massive chamber, easily hundreds of feet across that spiraled downwards. Two separate tracks, one that started from the opposite side of the chamber and the one they currently stood atop of, circled downwards to the center, much tighter and far more confined than the massive space at the top. Hanging from the ceiling were ropes and support chains that were still connected to vital areas of support, or hung loose and swayed slowly around.

"This place is soo cool," Mabel tried restraining her excitement.

"Don't pop a blood vessel yet," Dipper said, peering around," I... I think there's stuff at the bottom, look," he pointed to what appeared to be a collection of tables, several chairs and some large cages. They began the careful walk down one of the two spiraling tracks into the pit. Their footsteps echoed louder and louder as they approached the bottom, all the while they took in the majestic view.

"Look," Dipper pointed to where Mabel was about to step. A single page of the poster they had seen earlier about treasure hunters had made it down here, but then ahead of that was a spilled selection of pages.

"What are they?" Mabel asked as she approached.

"It's some sort of research," Dipper said aloud," look here, 'Gravity Falls, despite having little to no historical significance, has had an impact on paranormal researchers in recent times', and this one says, 'the evidence of supernatural is only deterred slightly by the sleepy-town feel of delightful men and women, from running grocery stores to gift shops'."

"Who could care about Gravity Falls?" Mabel asked with a crooked eyebrow, "do you think this has something to do with the government?"

"They wouldn't care to hide down here," Dipper thought aloud. Suddenly, from the depths of the pit, a voice called to them.

"Hey, Hey! You up there! I know you can hear me!"

The grip on the papers Dipper had dissolved instantly, and the papers fell aside, some spilling down below. Dipper and Mabel didn't even need to look at each other; for they knew that voice perfectly well.

"Oh, look, papers. It's nice you think I'm capable enough to saw my way out of metal cages with pieces of paper, but you've got the wrong genius. Get down here and help an old man out!"

The two ran faster than they had in all of their lives, barreling down the tracks with reckless disregard. Their footsteps thundered around the walls as they gasped for air. Their feet had minds of their own, desperation carrying to them levels of energy unprecedented in their lives. It was impossible, too wonderful to believe, that waiting for them down below, trapped in a large metal cage was him.

"Grunkle Stan!" The two screamed as they ran to him.

"K-KIDS!?" Grunkle Stan's eyes bulged out of his head as he saw them just barely above. They raced down and, stopping just short of slamming into the metal bars, reached through the cage and embraced their uncle. "What in Moses' holy name are you two doing here?!"

"We... we," Dipper couldn't get out, holding his Uncle tightly.

"You're safe!" Mabel declared as she looked at her uncle through the bars.

"Eh, safe isn't the word I'd use to describe our situation; but hey! Look at his nice suit I got for free!" he stepped back and spun, displaying the black suit from the funeral," suckers gave me a suit for some reason! HA!"

"Grunkle Stan, you died!" Dipper looked at his grand Uncle, confusion wrapping his entire being. "You... you're supposed to be dead!"

"No he isn't! Otherwise he wouldn't be here," Mabel told her brother. Grunkle Stan only then looked to the two and his eyes widened.

"Look, you two need to go hide yourselves, okay? This isn't a safe place!" he ordered aloud as his eyes darted around in fear.

"Why?" Mabel asked. Dipper did a quick look around as they spoke, and only then realized that the cage wasn't the only object sitting around the bottom of the mine. A desk, dozens of large and small crates, and a large overturned wooden wardrobe all stood silently around them.

"What, do you think I put myself in here? Maybe I LIKE being locked in a cage?" Grunkle Stan asked them incredulously.

"Wait... if you didn't put yourself there, then who did?" Dipper asked aloud.

"I bet it was mole-men," Mabel said with a serious stare to her brother.

"Close enough," A gruff and attractive male voice called from above. The twins whipped around.

Standing above them with two Great Dane dogs on either side was a strong and chiseled looking man. Dusty leather jacket and worn dress slacks were completed with his even dustier and trodden leather hat. He had perfect eyebrows, manly and strong but well kept and natural, while his dark eyes shone down at them. His squinted eyes narrowed down on the twins as they looked up, and realized he had a revolver pointed right for them.

"Ahhh... darn it," Grunkle Stan sighed.

"Neither of you two move. I could miss a shot, but these two," the man above stated, mentioning his dogs," will keep chasing you."

"Who are you, you devilish rouge!?" Mabel called above as the man slowly descended down, his gun trained on the two of them, his hounds at his heel. "You don't appear to be a faerie!"

"Yeah, we were way off with that one," Dipper admitted.

"I'm surprised you haven't seen my face around here. I may be new, but I was certain a few people came to my talks in this town," the man admitted.

"You... you must be Montana Jeffreys!" Dipper exclaimed as he watched the man descend towards them.

"Who?" Mabel and Grunkle Stan demanded.

"Good one, kid," the tall and handsome man nodded, his strong dark eyes on the two of them," I'm a treasure hunter who deals with extraordinary artifacts and creatures alike. I'm surprised you knew about me at all. No one these days seems to know my name anymore," Montana Jefferys added with a bitter note.

"Your posters were in town everywhere," Dipper informed him.

"Forgot about that," Montana growled. He whistled to his dogs, and they approached the twins, forcing them to back away from the cage. He reached over to a table and from a drawer, pulled out a large metal key. He walked over to Grunkle Stans cage, and while his gun was pointed Stan, he opened it up. "You two, inside," he nodded towards the cage. They obliged, but only after a quick look at the dogs, who stared at the two with sharp eyes. Montana closed the door with a bang and locked it up, and tossed they key on the table.

"Now, let's get to business," Montana said aloud, and turned to the dogs," Diana, get the book bag."

"What do you want with us?" Dipper demanded, and the edges of the treasure hunter's lips quirked up slightly, portraying a man who's plans were all going smoothly.

"You'll know in a moment," he said as the dog named Diana trotted over with none other than Dipper's backpack.

"HEY!" Dipper exclaimed," THATS MINE!"

"You shouldn't leave your windows open in the middle of a forest," Montana said cockily, patting the head of the dog," you never know what can climb in and steal something."

"It was the dog that we heard!" Mabel gasped as she recalled to the Funeral home, and the sound of someone hastily running around outside.

"Give it back!" Dipper exclaimed angrily.

"I don't care about the bag, kid," Montana admitted, as he reached inside and pulled out a simple folder.

"Wait... the will?" Dipper asked with a quick blink.

"Bingo," The Treasure Hunter nodded and tossed the backpack to the cage, where Dipper clutched it and pulled it inside," the will of the mystery shack. I want that land."

"Oh great, another Gideon," Grunkle Stan slapped a hand onto his grey hair," well you're getting the same answer that he did: heck no!"

"It's not under your legal ability to decide that, old man," Montana told Grunkle Stan strongly," it's theirs."

"What!?" Stan shouted, clutching the bars, and then looking at his grand niece and nephew," what happened while I was asleep?"

"Wasn't just asleep," Montana explained, going to sit on a rickety old wooden chair," I hit you with a strong tranquilizer. Strong enough, I think, to put you into a serious coma."

"Oh... that explains why my mouth was so dry... and why I woke up in the funeral home... what?" he demanded from his relatives, who stared at him," I just thought that was a wild vivid dream!"

"The cops said you died!" Dipper told his Grunkle.

"Aren't there crazy cases where people are in such a state of near-death they're often mistake for being dead?" Mabel asked, and Dipper gave her a look. "What?"

"Either way, since the official records state that you died," Montana continued," your authority to decide the ownership of the mystery shack no longer belongs to you. But to these two have the ability," he pointed a finger at the twins," and they're going to sign off their names, and I'll put my name at the end."

"Dude... why do you care about the shack anyway?" Dipper demanded with confusion," it's just a tourist trap!" Montana gave the three a nice, long look, his eyes distant and cold. He stood from his chair with a dramatic step to the side.

"Oh cool," Mabel said excitedly to the three," he's going to monologue!"

"Ugh, great," Grunkle Stan groaned," tell me anything important comes up, will ya? I'm just going to do more important things with my life," he said as he sat down, and began to pick his nose.

"I used to be a great adventurer," Montana began," people looked up to me. I was the image of manly actions and journeys: scourging tombs yet uncovered, fighting cursed creatures, evening getting a dame here or there. But... people cared less and less for tomb raiding and catacomb exploring."

"I feel like I've heard of Tomb Raiding before, somewhere," Dipper said aside to his sister.

"All these movies about mystery and horror, about romance and love- people don't need someone like me anymore," Montana Jefferys said sadly," I'm just a washed up old grave digger by society standards now," both the dogs came walking up to him, nudging him with their noses," all I really have left are my dogs."

"But this... this town could be the big bounce back in my career," he then continued with fever," the research from just about anywhere says that this town hides secrets left and right. Missing persons, paranormal sightings, mysticism and all manner of beastly critters roam the night. All I have to do is get a foothold in, one that no one would think twice about; like that shack, and I'll have a source to capture as much of these things and sell them. I'd finally live in retirement like I dreamed I could, happy and safe."

"Dude, not to burst your bubble, but capturing these things isn't a walk in the park," Dipper told him," just try getting a Gremloblin into a cage. It's nasty business."

"I'll take my chances," the gruff man said to Dipper, standing up, and reaching for a pen and the will," so... let's make a deal. You sign your name off and hand over all the land to me, and I let you all walk home without a scratch. How's that sound?"

Dipper stared at the pen. He quickly looked to Stan, who returned the stare with uncertainty. The shack was worth everything to Stanley Pines, and Stanley pines was worth worlds to Dipper and Mabel. They practically summoned an army the last time an invader presented itself to the Mystery Shack. But this man was determined; he nearly killed Grunkle Stan in the attempt to take the property away, and now he had them even worse- locked in a cage.

Dipper's finger tips reached forward and took the pen, and he looked cautiously to his sister. Her eyes went from the pen to Dipper, and he felt deep down that he knew what she was going to do before he saw it happen. She reached for the pen, and with a yell, tossed roughly into the man's eyes with force.

"OW! DAMN IT!" The treasure hunter exclaimed, holding an arm to his injured face.

"You want to try forcing us to give up our home, huh!?" Mabel shouted at the mildly harmed man," well you can forget about any deal, regardless how handsome you are, or nicely toned out your muscles are! You're just being a big thief! A big thief with a great jaw-line!"

The dogs looked up to their angered master. He breathed heavily and his eyes narrowed in anger as he glared at the three of them. His foot then came smashing down on the pen on the ground, and he tossed the papers at the table.

"Let's see who goes through this better, then! You think you can stay in here for long without food or drink? I guess we'll have to find out," he sneered as he turned from them, and started up the spiral, and was out of sight in no time. The dogs remained, watching him go with a sad look in their eyes.

"Great... now what?" Dipper turned to the other two," so... anyone have an idea?"

"I would have suggested that we drag him by the neck here and hold him hostage until the dogs released us, but I think we settled for throwing a pen in his face," Grunkle Stan said with a huff. Mabel looked to the dogs with a suspicious eye, and slowly pulled out remains of the sugar string.

"Mabel?" Dipper asked quietly as she tried pulling her arms around the bars and tried sticking the string into the lock.

"Maybe it will-"

"Don't even try that," one of the dogs suddenly spoke aloud. Mabel dropped her string in shock and the three instantly pushed themselves up against the bars, and as close as they could get to the dog that spoke.

"Diana," the other dog said in a warning voice.

"You two... can understand us?" Grunkle Stan gasped.

"I think you mean you three can understand us," the dog named Diana commented.

"Haha," Dipper snickered," you know that's kinda... true, you know... dogs are usually the one who understand... I'm the only one who think that's funny? Okay," he shrugged and turned back to the dogs.

"You two can speak English perfectly," Mabel stared at them with huge sparkling eyes," tell me what is your secret, and I will begin teaching all dogs- a new order of canine and mankind can begin!" she attempted to bargain with enthusiasm.

"Trust me," the other dog stepped forward, her eyes narrow with mistrust," Montey has tried teaching other dogs. We're just freaks, that's all."

"You call him Montey?" Grunkle Stan laughed at the dogs, who glared at him.

"Wait... so if you can speak, then you can help us?" Dipper tried reasoning with the two. The closest huffed in his face and turned around and walked away.

"Why should we? You'd only just go and report him to authorities and then what? We go running for our lives forever?" The closest dog snapped at them.

"Nadia," the dog named Diana spoke quietly, catching the other by shock," maybe we should help them."

"Are you crazy!?" the dog Nadia barked.

"You... want to help us?" Grunkle Stan asked, tilting his head in confusion.

"No," Diana said strongly," I want to help our master," she said to her companion dog.

"How would letting us go help him?" Dipper asked.

"He wasn't always this desperate," Diana said sadly," once he explored these crazy places because it was fun. On one of those explorations he discovered us. We became family so quickly, it feels like yesterday."

"It could be, for all we know," Grunkle Stan intervened," you know, how dog years work."

"But all he wants is money now. Because he thinks it will make us all feel better. But it never will," Diana strongly proclaimed," money is just a curse. We can be happy just being us, in a small home together, watching television or eating bad food or making fun of the other dogs who can't speak to us. I just miss my family, my sister and I," Diana looked to the other dog, who finally let her guard down and whined sadly.

Dipper had listened to the dogs, his heart strangely full of understanding. He spared a single glance to his sister, who shared the same look at the same time. It was one of the great 'near-telepathic' moments twins could have, and they understood fully.

"Hey," Dipper called to the two," I... I can't promise you that letting us go will help him see the error of his ways, but you have to make the choice to change him!"

"What?" The dogs asked in shock.

"Yeah," Mabel called from behind the bars," you're part of this family, you two and Montey? If you never stand up for how you feel, he may never know he's hurting you!"

"Yeah, listen to these two, they're good at feelings and stuff," Grunkle Stan leaned into the bars as well, trying to milk the scene for its worth.

"You need to make a choice for yourself, not just let your future be determined by someone because you love them," Mabel told them kindly.

"Please, help us," Dipper asked them. The dogs stared at the three. The dog Nadia, with a clear and heavy sigh, walked over to the desk, picked up the key and spat it down at their feet.

"You will have a few minutes to run. But once he spots you leaving, he'll sick us on you. We're giving you a head start, but once he says go..." Diana told them as Nadina turned away from the three as Dipper reached and grabbed the key," we're going to come for you."

"Thanks for the warning!" Mabel thanked them with a huge smile. Dipper reached around and slid the key inside, unlocking the door.

"Before we go," Dipper said as he grasped his book bag and slammed the folder into the backpack," he's not getting away with these."

"Good thinking," Grunkle Stan commended the two," now let's run like we still have a life to live!" The three then took off, taking the opposite path, and began to climb the spiraling tracks upwards.

"Grunkle Stan, I just want to let you know," Dipper said between breaths," how happy I am to see you still kicking!"

"Yeah! I knew you were still here!" Mabel added with a great wide smile.

"Great, glad you two miss me," Grunkle Stan told them and dared a smile," but we need to put our effort to running here, not yapping away about feelings!"

A furious shout called from across the gaping hole. Looking up, and still running, the twins spotted from afar a stunned Montana Jeffreys. He had just whipped out his revolver and tried aiming at them. To the luck of the escapees the amount of hanging wires and chains made it difficult for him to get a clean shot. After an exasperated groan, the treasure hunter roared.

"SICK EM, GIRLS!" he shouted as he took a charge back into the tunnel, and ran out into the open, leaping off the side of the cliff magnificantly. Still mid-air, he wrapped his hands around the thick metal chains, and began to swing from one chain to another.. One by one he swung closer and closer to the Pines until he took his first shot.

"Sweet Moses!" Grunkle Stan shouted as the bullet missed them by mere feet. "RUN FOR IT!"

"We're almost at the top!" Mabel shouted to the other two. Down below, the dogs began to bark and their charge against the earth grew louder and louder. The Pine family members finally made it to the top, and launched themselves at the first tunnel they found.

"You have any idea where we're running to!?" Dipper asked Mabel, who was barely ahead of him.

"No idea!" she smiled as she continued ahead.

The sound of a landing far behind them and barking dogs caught their attention. A sharp whistle followed, and the pattering footsteps were catching up.

"At this rate we're ending up as actual dog-meat!" Grunkle Stan worried.

"We need to do something then!" Mabel shouted as they finally spotted, hundreds of yards behind them, the two dogs and their furious master in chase.

Dipper peered above them. Every so often, they passed under a support beam. It in turn was also supported by other beams. The wood in use was old and worn, some rotten, some breaking already. The idea popped into his head; a risky, life-threatening, crazy idea. Yet he smiled; smiled wider than he thought he ever would when his life was on the line. He was more excited and exhilarated than he had since... since he had last been to Gravity Falls.

"Grab a tool or something!" Dipper shouted as he spotted several abandoned pickaxes and shovels.

"I am not bringing a shovel to a gunfight!" Grunkle Stan commented as Dipper grabbed a sturdy looking pickax and ran at the first support column before him. Mabel followed suit, and Grunkle Stan did too, albeit reluctantly. "I guess something is better than nothing!"

"Hit them!" Dipper shouted as he spun in his step, and smashed the pickax as hard as he could against a particularly worn support beam. It buckled and shook, splintering where he struck it.

"WHAT!? ARE YOU CRAZY!?" Grunkle Stan shouted, but after watching Mabel took her brothers lead, he grinned wickedly," but dang it, crazy enough that it's got to work!" he too smashed his chosen shovel into the column. His strength easily outweighed the other two, and the three began to break one support beam after another, each targeted by Dipper.

"One more aught to do it, then drop them and just run for it!" Dipper said as he picked the last column and hit it. No sooner had he smashed the column than the ceiling above began to tremble and quake. Mabel's strike caused further shaking, but Stans' roaring smash delivered the killing blow.

The entire mine shaft began to cave in, piece by piece. Dipper ran ahead, spotting the light at the end of the tunnel as he saw the wilderness of Oregon ahead. He looked back, and was astounded to see the dogs and their master in hot pursuit despite the falling ceiling.

It was getting worse- large chucks of earth were falling around them and it became harder and harder to avoid the falling rocks and boulders that they needed to miss. They were close, so very close to fresh air.

"GOTCHA!" Montana Jeffreys shouted as he dive-tackled Grunkle Stan. The older man fell, catching the other two, who then also collapsed. Dipper fell quickly, landing harshly on his face. Mabel fell against the side of a tree trunk, smacking her head hard enough for her to see triples of everything. Only Stan stood up quickly, but Montana stood faster, and had a gun pointed right for Stan. Dust billowed out past them, giving Stan a cover for charge, but Montana shot at his feet, keeping him still.

"No one... is going... anywhere," Montana told them dangerously between his hacking coughs," not until I-" A pained whimper came from behind Montana, and he instantly spun around as the dust dissipated. "No!" he gasped, and his gun fell from his hand. One of the dogs had her leg partially trapped under a large rock in the entrance to the cave. "Diana!"

"We have to get her out!" Nadia said to Montana in a desperate panic. Stan chuckled behind them, and he steadily walked over, and retrieved the revolver.

"Well, that solves a lot of problems in life now," he said, checking the gun. The old man stared at the gun and then the three before him, totally ignoring him in hopes of freeing the trapped dog.

"Grunkle Stan?" Dipper asked as he got up, brushing off dirt from his scraped chin.

"What should we do?" Mabel stood, rubbing the back of her head with each stroke causing her to wince.

"What should we do? Well, I'll tell ya, karma says we should leave these suckers here to their own fate, because they would have been willing to do the same to us!" Grunkle Stan growled aloud, hoping to catch the attention of the treasure hunter. Yet all that came to him in reply was the grunts of Montana desperately trying to lift the bolder and Nadia trying to push with her head as best she could. Grunkle Stan sighed and tossed the gun aside, rolled up his sleeves, and walked forward.

"Skooch over, tough guy," Grunkle Stan ordered Montana, who stared at his once captor in total shock. The old man, with his big muscular arms, found grips to the boulder and he too began to groan as the two tried lifting the rock. Mabel and Dipper also approached, and after a moment of struggle, the five lifted the rock off the leg of Diana, and they threw it aside.

"Diana!" Nadia rushed forward, desperately licking her face.

"Sis, stop it," Diana said in a strained voice," you know that wont help-"

"I was so afraid," Nadia began to whine, nudging the head of her sister dog," I didn't want to lose you." The pines took their steps back, and sat down all together and sighed simultaneously.

"Well, summer always starts off weird, but this sure took the cake," Grunkle Stan told the twins, who looked to him with watery smiles. After a moment, he finally grinned, and embraced them tightly," and gosh-darn it, you make an old man happy, just being here! You two must have doubled in size since I last saw you!"

"Grunkle Stan, I need to know," Dipper looked to his Great Uncle," how did you get out of the funeral home?"

"I walked out," Grunkle Stan told him easily.

"That's it?" Dipper replied sadly.

"As soon as I realized I got a free suit from anyone, I wasn't going to stick around to hear out the details. It was this chump and his dogs who were waiting for me," Grunkle Stan rolled his eyes," otherwise I wouldn't have ruined this perfectly cheap-as-dirt suit!"

The three laughed as they continued to embrace. It was the loud steps of a boot-worn foot that caught their attention, and they broke apart. Montana had walked over to his gun, and lifted it up, checking up for dust.

"So, tough guy," Grunkle Stan said as he and the twins stood up," what's it going to be?"

Montana Jeffrey looked at the three from the side of his vision, to his gun, and then turned to his two dogs, still lying down next to one another. He then chuckled, and with a turn of events that made Mabel smile wide as she could, Montana opened the cylinder of his revolver and dropped out the remaining four loaded bullets. He then tossed the empty gun to their feet.

"I don't need it anymore," Montana Jeffreys told them with the smallest smile, the sun setting behind him as he stood before the steep incline of a mountain face," I retire."

"A wise choice, sir," Dipper said, stepping forward to lift the gun up, but it was snatched quickly by Grunkle Stan," hey!"

"Not for you," Stan told his great nephew with a critical stare. Montana turned to his dogs, and with a quick swoop, lifted Diana from the ground.

"What will you do now, oh great devilish rogue?" Mabel asked Montana as he and Nadia walked down the hill.

"I don't really know," Montana stopped as he pondered," but I don't care anymore. Anything that keeps us out of danger for now sounds good."

Dipper nodded with the other Pines in appreciation, and only then he realized something odd. He patted his pocket and reached inside. There he found the blue glowing object, and stepped forward.

"We... uh... Have you ever seen something like this before?" Dipper asked, holding it ahead for the man to inspect. His eyes widened and his mouth dropped down.

"Diana, I need to put you down for a second," Montana told his dog. Once she was safely on the ground, he reached inside a satchel he carried, and pulled out an identical one.

"There's more than one!?" Dipper gasped.

"More glowing..." Mabel awed as she watched them both.

"Found it a few months ago. Don't have even a clue on what it is or where it came from... but I see you two are kind of good at uncovering secrets," he flicked the small transparent blue battery at Dipper," so keep it. Maybe you'll get to the bottom of things. Good luck."

With that, he lifted up his injured dog, and Montana Jeffreys, a last bastion of old time adventure glory, continued down the mountain, vanishing into the thick vegetation. The Pines watched him vanished, a slight smile on their face and the light of the sun cascaded down their faces from the dying afternoon.

"So... who was he exactly? Some sort of actor or something?" Grunkle Stan asked.

The walk back to town wasn't horribly long, but it took even longer to get back to the mystery shack than anticipated. By the time they returned to the library, Dipper's car had already begun to be towed- much in violation with the twenty minute parking limit the sign stated next to the now bent stop sign. It took a lot of schmoozing from Grunkle Stan to calm the tow truck driver to let the car be, and afterwards, the three made their drive back to the shack.

"Mister Pines!" Soos shouted as he spotted his employer stepping out from Dipper's car," You're alive!"

"Don't try fooling me with that old 'I'm so happy my boss is alive' thing Soos," Grunkle Stan told the running handy man," because it won't have any- OH GOD!" Soos had grabbed the elderly man and lifted him high into a bear-like, bone crushing hug. "A RAISE! YOU GET A RAISE! PUT ME DOWN!"

"Don't let him escape Soos!" Mabel called as she stepped down from her bike.

"I am soo happy you're still alive!" Soos said again tearfully," does that means I still have a job!?"

"Yes, Soos, you do," Grunkle Stan nodded and sighed, stretching his back and rubbing it to attempt easing the pain.

"Welcome back, boss-o," Wendy waved from the door, grinning wildly," glad to see I didn't have to go looking for another summer gig."

"Ha, like anyone else would hire your lazy butt," Stan mocked her, yet put a welcoming arm on her shoulder as he stepped inside. "Oh man, did I miss the smell of naivety and a good business opportunity."

"You never change," Mabel gave her Grunkle a quick punch on the arm, and he chuckled with her.

"You know..." Grunkle Stan said cleverly, turning to the twins," now that everyone thinks I'm a ghost running around town, this place is probably going to become even more busy with people coming to check on my after-life status. I probably could use an extra hand, or maybe two. How about it you two?" Grunkle Stan pulled the two together, looking between them," want to stick around your boring old Grunkle Stan one more summer? For old family times sake?"

Mabel's face exploded with light. Her eyes grew huge and grin couldn't possibly grow wider, and she looked to her brother, who also was totally into the idea. However as soon as the light had hit the two of their faces, Dippers began to fade, staring at his sister. He looked down, and stepped away from the hug.

"Sorry, Grunkle Stan," Dipper said, rubbing the back of his neck," you know, I just... wanted to come up here and make sure that everything up here was... okay, I guess. You're alive, and that's great! But I have a summer job lined up that I shouldn't skip out on, you know?"

"Aw shucks," Grunkle Stan groaned," so much for letting you guys into my new business plan then. Well, if you two need to be getting back, you should be leaving soon. Otherwise you'll get home past midnight. I don't think they allow teens on the street past twelve... or was it one in the morning? I don't know."

"Thanks Grunkle Stan," Dipper said with a sad smile, and he turned for the stairs.

"Uh..." Mabel looked to the others, who had already gone back to their activities working on the shack. She turned back towards the stairs ascended slowly. Dipper was quickly packed already, and was moving for the door.

"Hey... we should be going soon, like Grunkle Stan said," Dipper told her. He squeezed past her, avoiding eye contact, and she was left atop the stairs. She stared at her own things, and the now blank side of the room that she had for a day shared with her brother left a hole in her stomach. The mere thought of the twenty four hours that had just passed were unbelievable, and to think it was already over drove mad.

A minute later, she exited the door with her own packed things, as Dipper finished stuffing his suitcases inside the car trunk. He gave her a quick look, after which he then turned away. She approached her bike, unimpressed with its pink sparkly glory in thought of what getting back onto it and riding it home meant losing.

"You know... we should hang out this summer, now we can, you know, drive and stuff," Dipper told her from his car, turning to face her.

"Yeah," she nodded, half turning to look at him from only the corner of her eye.

"I... yeah," Dipper started a thought, but was unable to complete it, looking at his sister with the same defeated eyes she had. "You were right all along," Dipper told her finally," and I can't even begin to think how stupid I really feel for not believing you."

"Oh, well, you know how those crazy feelings are," Mabel told her twin, mustering her best smile," and those woman's intuitions."

"Yeah, proved me wrong," Dipper admitted with a chuckle," serves me right for doubting you-"

"Well you two," Grunkle Stan approached them as they stared at one another," you knuckleheads better be ready for that long drive. Also, since I'm not technically dead, you're going to have to wait longer than two years to get my shack from me, you two hear?!" he said strongly, and the two rolled their eyes and walked to their vehicles.

"See you guys," Dipper waved to Soos and Wendy who were waving back slowly, clearly disappointed at the twins' rapid departure. Dipper's car first made its exit, followed by Mabel. She gave them all one last sad look before turning and leaving.

"Man, was I looking forward to them hanging around," Soos admitted as he looked down, sitting on the porch with a thud.

"Yeah, dude," Wendy agreed, leaning against the side of the door," this summer could have been awesome if they decided to stay here."

"They're older now," Grunkle Stan told them as he approached," old enough to make choices on their own and live up to those choices. Sometimes, they may make a choice they won't end up liking in the long run."

"You're going to miss them aren't you?" Wendy asked him, and he stared at the drive way.

"I wouldn't be so sure on missing them yet," the old man said wisely.

Dipper drove his car down the empty highway past Gravity Falls. It would be another seven hours and twenty some minutes before he got home, and he desperately searched for a way to get comfortable.

A horrible tugging feeling pulled as his mind. Like a part of his brain was elastic, he felt like he was constantly looking back in the mirror. It didn't help that Mabel was still behind him, looking sullen and unhappy.

"I can't just shrug off this job," Dipper told himself, alone in his car. "College isn't cheap. I know mom doesn't have that kind of money any more, so I need to save up! And dad isn't in that kind of money either!" he said as he felt frustration and anger at himself building up. He lashed out, striking the wheel as he drove, and then sighed, staring ahead.

"Just... keep driving, and you'll get home," he told himself, as he turned on the radio. The first station that popped on was country, and the sad song immediately started singing about separation. Dipper groaned loudly and nearly head butted the wheel. He quickly reset himself, breathing sharply and steadying his hands back on the wheel.

A knock on his driver seat window startled him. He turned and found Mabel reaching over from her bike, waving at him with a grin. She reached back to her face, and struggled to pull off her sunglasses and look him in the eyes.

'Bye. I love you,' she mouthed to him.

His heart sank as she placed her sunglasses back on, and sped ahead, swerving slightly as she adjusted herself to be in the fast lane. Dipper watched her go, his chest tightening and yet entirely hollow at the same time.

"DAMN!" he screamed and he slammed his foot onto the break. His car screeched to a halt and slid slightly. He came to a halt so fast that his backpack came flying from his backseat and nearly hit him, instead catching his cap from his head and throwing it to the floor.

He looked ahead after taking a few slow breathes. Mabel had also stopped, turning to watch her brother. They were a good two hundred feet apart, but Dipper could tell exactly what she was thinking. She stared from a distance and made sure her brother was okay.

He noticed a humming from his backpack, and reached inside. The glowing cylinder resonated that same faint white light. He played with it for a moment, and the thought came to mind. It made him wonder what it really was.

"What the heck are you doing?" Dipper asked himself. He looked from the unknown object to his distant sister.

"When I come home, you've all gone, and there ain't no bed I can find-" the radio sang solemnly.

"Hate it," Dipper said firmly, spun the knob, and found an upbeat remix song about, to his surprise, revealing secrets," much better." With a strong grip, he put his car in reverse, and he turned it, ready to get on the opposite side and face the direction he was just leaving.

"YES!" Mabel raced to catch up with her brother, and flew past him, shouting at the top of her lungs," LAST ONE THERE HAS TO KISS THE GNOMES!"

Dipper grinned and his competitive nature slid into place.

"Not on my watch, sis!"

The two raced each other down the highway and through the entire town, laughing as they soared over pavement, concrete and finally gravel. There, still standing outside by the door in the late orange glow of the sun, was Stan.

"I was wondering how long you two were going to take to realize," Stan called as they jumped out and off their vehicles," that you wanted to be here. Could see it etched into your faces." Dipper and Mabel ran to one another first for their first real hug in a very long time. After a moment, they turned to Stan, who was grinning at the two of them.

"So, I guess we're staying," Dipper said, trying to contain his smile," do you need any help with the place?"

"Oh, your summer work not good enough huh?" Grunkle Stan joked with a nudge on Dippers shoulder," don't worry you two. I have a huge plan to turn this building into something else. A renovation a year in the making!"

"I noticed you had new rooms and stuff. What gives, Grunklereeno?" Mabel asked.

"I'm going to turn this run down old shack into something real classy! A place that tourists can no longer even THINK to call a trap. It'd be a real destination!" Stan proclaimed as the S letter from 'Shack' fell off and crashed into the ground behind them.

"Classy isn't the first word that comes to mind, you know," Dipper admitted as they looked at the worn wooden building," Especially when I think of the word 'shack'."

"HA! Exactly!" Stan pointed at the two of them, and reached down for a sign that had been face down the entire time. "Well, say farewell to this shack, and hello to," he held it up, and slammed it down into the earth, where it stuck, and read-

The Mystery Manor

Coming Soon!

Bring your whole family!

"Heh, I like that last bit. If they bring their kids," Stan grinned as he chuckled," the little grubs will bleed them dry of cash for all the merchandise I can provide! Or wreck my gift shop...! I may need to think this one through."

* * *

><p>Somewhere, not too far from Gravity falls, a silhouetted figure sat- staring at a collection of screens in a darkly lit room. The dark room remained primarily lit by the multitude of screens collected by the dark figure. Before him a small holographic keyboard lay, and he clicked a single transparent button. A birds eye view then showed a scene- Montana Jeffreys passing off the blue object to Dipper Pines. The figure, sitting in front of the many other replaying cameras, leant forward to a microphone like object and spoke.<p>

"Sire?" the voice called from the darkness was young sounding, fresh and willing to serve.

"Yes?" a deeper voice, gruff and commanding, replied.

"I've been monitoring the children who have located the charge. They now have uncovered two," the subordinate explained.

"Do they show any signs of discovering our location?" the deeper voice replied.

"No sir. They were preparing to leave the town, but have only just turned around, according to our trackers," the younger sounding man stated as he activated a new screen, which showed a black and blue screen of a map of Gravity Falls, where two blue beeping spheres resonated by a single building in the woods.

"Then we continue operations according to schedule," the 'boss' spoke.

"But we were nearly caught earlier today! If we were spotted, that could compromise our entire mission- we need to consider the models all running low on energy! And the charges in close proximity could bond in uniform-band width, which is extremely dangerous to-"

"Uki-Dohth!" the voice called back, having the person flinch.

"Yes, sir?"

"We are working on borrowed time as it is. At this point, we need to consider breaking our greatest laws if our procedures are to work. You of all people know the importance of success here, don't you?" the voice called back.

"...Yes, sir, I do," the younger sounding figure nodded as he looked to the town.

"Good. Continue with monitoring them all, and announce the next time an energy capsule is about to expire- we may not have such a speedy reaction time," the boss's voice clicked, and the room fell silent. The figure stood, and slowly reached forward and touched his hand against the map.

"I'm so sorry, all of you."

* * *

><p>And there you have it! Part two of 'episode one', done and done! Ugh... it's late. Editing and me aren't buddies. But enough whining!<p>

So folks, what didja think? You all like it? Want to see more? Hate it beyond words and seek to see me boil in my own blood in a terrible death that would last hours and hours of anguish? Well, I'd love to hear from you! Well, maybe not the evil thoughts, unless they are constructive. :)

But in all seriousness here guys, please review! I love, love, LOVE hearing from you all. If you have a concern or thought, tell me! Want to check in to see what I have planned? Ask away! I won't give you spoilers, but I can probably let you know if this kind of story is the sort you will want to keep looking into.

Well, I hope you enjoyed this chapter. The next Episode- two chapters, keep with me here, folks is going to be called "Familiarity". Take that for what you will, but it's a wild ride. May or may not see some of that martial arts Mabel was talking about in the prologue. :D

Now, for my dramatic exit! OH-HO! (reaches inside desk drawer, and retrieves a grappling hook gun) EZB, AWAY! (EZB shoots at the ceiling directly above him, and the entire roof collapses in, crushing him and his computer)

...Ouch. See you guys next week... send help... owww...


	4. Familiarity: Part 1

"You're going to do what?" Dipper's mom called through the phone.

"Stay up here, yeah. It's... kind of crazy, and doesn't make a whole lot of sense, but Grunkle Stan wasn't really dead! Mabel and I figured out what happened, and things are looking good up here," Dipper told his mom through the phone, sitting outside by the gift shop door.

The three had just gone inside with their bags when Miss Pines called her son. Dipper, as he rushed outside to take the call, told Mabel that she had better call their dad as well. He wanted to ensure they informed their parents of what they were planning; staying up at Gravity Falls for a tad longer than the plan originally called for.

"You sure your Grand Uncle isn't just guilting you on staying up there?" his mom asked suspiciously. "This sounds exactly like the kind of thing he would do if he wanted some free workers."

"Mom, this isn't just about Grunkle Stan," Dipper replied, looking behind him to the lit window, where Mabel paced, talking on the phone, "and there's something else going on up here too."

"Dipper, is this one of those stories you wrote about?" his mom asked after a pause.

"Mom-" he started, not wanting to debate the truth of his stories once again, a long done argument he had with his parents.

"Okay, okay, so you need to figure something out up there. Do you want me to tell Pizza Asteroid that you've been pre-occupied with something important? Maybe they'll buy jury duty..."

"I'm not old enough for jury duty," Dipper told her.

"Oh, I'll figure it out," she told him lazily, "how long do you think it'll take?"

Dipper looked around. The sun rested just below the horizon, and the orange glow from the sky above and between the many trees of the deep woods cast a warm light around him. In truth, he wanted to tell her he was going to be here all summer. The mystery presented could, in fact, take that long and he wanted to spend some quality time in Gravity Falls. Then again, he did need to go back eventually. He sighed as he considered the idea of solving this mystery- and looked to one of the blue transparent glowing batteries they had acquired as it rested in his hand.

"Two weeks?" he guessed.

"That's a bit of summer you're losing," she warned him.

"It's not that bad!" Dipper said back, "I mean, all I would be doing back home is waiting tables and flipping pizzas around, or whatever. Not exactly a job with a lot of training needed. It won't be that bad if I stay up here for a bit longer."

"As long as you think you can afford to do this," his mother reminded him as she spoke, and he waited for her to continue, "how's Mabel?"

"She's, uh, herself," Dipper said politely and his mother chuckled in response.

"It's been a while since you two last saw each other, hasn't it?"

"Yeah," Dipper nodded sadly. His mother seemed to note the sadness in his voice well, and she switched her tone.

"Well, take your time up there. I'll tell your manager-to-be that you have important business that needs you there for now. Enjoy your time with your sister, and don't get into trouble slash get hurt!" His mom warned him and he happily chuckled.

"Okay, okay, mom," Dipper agreed. "Love you, okay?"

"Tell your sister that I love you both!" Miss Pines called through the phone one last time before he hung up. Dipper looked around the woods once more, peering around for anything of interest.

It still struck him as weird to be back in, to him, such an important place. The Mystery Shack, or Manor as Grunkle Stan planned it to be, was a pinnacle of adventure and life. It was a realm where struggles and battles he would never forget took place almost daily. Here he was, sitting on the deck of a place that would forever linger in his memories. He worried if this brief stay at Gravity Falls would add to those death-defying moments he came to associate with this town. He already had escaped from a desperately crazed treasure hunter and his two speaking dogs; what else could be waiting in the near future?

"DIPPER!"

Dipper craned his head directly above him, and Mabel peered down at him from the attic window she had just shoved open.

"DAD SAYS HI, DOOFUS!"

"Hi dad!" Dipper called and waved to his sister, who giggled and popped back inside. Dipper smiled and looked once more at the gravel path before him that lead to the main road. He then stood and turned to the door. Dipper walked inside and through the closed down gift shop, passing the shadowed cheap products his grand uncle would try to sell on a daily basis. He almost passed Grunkle Stan, who sat by the TV in the living room, lazily sprawled out on his chair.

"Catching up on The Duchess Approves?" Dipper asked with a knowing grin to his Uncle, who stared at the television.

"Ha! I wish they had that on instead of this crud. Can you believe they'd put all this other stuff on instead of genuinely good cinematic classics?" he told his grand nephew as he motioned to the TV.

"The remote is right there," Dipper pointed to the remote sitting atop the television.

"Yeah, I forgot it when I turned the TV on. But- it's this chair! As soon as you sit down," Grunkle Stan attempted to raise up, and found himself struggling considerably, "see? You go no where!"

"We now return to 'Our Feelings Guurrl: Problems of Privileged Teenagers in Suburbia'," the proper male television announcer stated clearly. Stan looked mortified.

"Dipper, if you have an compassion for an old man, you will hand me that remote," Grunkle Stan begged.

"... on the Channel Formerly Known as Learning and Stuff," the announcer concluded.

"Oh god!" Grunkle Stan clapped his hands against his ears.

"Here," Dipper sighed, and tossed his Grunkle Stan the remote.

"Oh, sweet release!" Grunkle Stan sighed and instantly changed the channel. The TV flashed again and again until Grunkle Stan spotted a particular show set in a pawn shop. "Whoa, what's this?" Stan asked.

"Oh, that's Broker-Nova," Dipper told him, "some of my friends are into it."

"This here is a priceless edition of George Washington's boy-scout ring," a visitor of the televised shop stated, "and here are sixteen documents claiming its authenticity."

"This is a really great item just to see for myself," the show cut to one of the owners of the shop being interviewed, and he started explaining, "I really wanted to have this in my shop, but I had to ask myself- was sixteen documents really enough?" the owner shook his head, "How much do you want for it?" the camera changed back to inside the shop.

"Six thousand dollars is what a museum offered me," the visitor stated.

"I'll give you sixty bucks, cash," the store manager told him up-front. The owner of the ring looked hard at the shop owner, and sweat started to form aside his head as he clearly had a great mental struggle before him.

"You have yourself a deal!" the visitor answered, and shook the man's hand.

"HAHAHA! That guy got stiffed! I love this show!" Grunkle Stan roared, and leaned closer to the television.

"I kind of figured you would," Dipper said, and left the room. Climbing up the stairs, he heard his Uncle laugh harder at the television, and wondered if he had made a mistake by introducing his Grunkle to that show. He shrugged as he landed the last step and turned to the hallway that lead to his room. He yawned as he swung the door open.

"GACK! DIPPER!" Mabel screamed as he entered the room.

"WHAT!? WHERE!?" he shouted, looking to all the walls, ceiling and the floor, thinking something was inside their room.

"GET OUT!" Mabel screamed, holding a robe up to her nude body. Dipper also shrieked, and tried spinning to leave, instead hitting his face on the side of the doorframe.

"I'm sorry!" Dipper apologized hastily and covered his eyes and flew out the room. With his eyes covered he ran dead into the wall ahead of him without a moment of hesitation, and fell aside. "Ow," he groaned, holding his nose tentatively, and the door behind him slammed shut. Dipper waited for what felt like an hour for his sister to finish getting changed inside the room before he knocked.

"It is safe to enter," his sister's voice floated from inside.

"Right," he hesitantly opened the door and slowly peeked around. Mabel sat on her bed in brightly colored pajama pants and her old floppy disk t-shirt, reading happily into a magazine about fashion for dances. "So... er... mom says she loves you."

"How is she?" Mabel asked looking up briefly from her magazine to her brother, who wasn't entirely sure how to handle himself after what had just happened.

"She's good. Her job now has her working a lot, but she misses you," Dipper said stiffly as he walked to his bed and sat down, looking dead ahead and blank.

"That's nice. Hey, check this out!" Mabel pushed into his vision an advertisement for a pair of pants of varying color and a lot of electrical wiring, "what do you think? You can plug it into your computer, and program the colors it changes to based on the amount of steps you take! It even comes with dances pre-programmed!"

"Yeah," Dipper said distantly.

"That's what I thought!" Mabel pulled it back excitedly, only to push another outlandish picture, this time of shoes that detect songs that are playing aloud, and then plays that same music with them, "we should totally get these in bulk."

"Yeah," Dipper once again agreed.

"Wow! You're feeling this tonight, aren't you?" Mabel laughed and flipped through the magazine once more, and gasped, "what about this!?" she held ahead easily the most crazy object being advertised: plates, forks, spoons and knives that could only be used while in motion.

"Yeah," Dipper robotically repeated.

"Okay, two is one thing, but three in a row? What gives?" Mabel put the magazine down and stared carefully at her brother, who was initially unresponsive.

"I'm currently trying to focus on nothing. That way I can burn out the image of my sister, nearly naked," he said, not daring to look at her, fearing a full focus glance to her would spur the memory he dared not have.

"Aw, come on Dipper," Mabel tried assuring him, "you have to relax! That kind of thing happens with siblings! If we'd been living together for these past three years, you'd have gotten over it by now."

"But we haven't," Dipper finally dared to look at his sister. He was gratified with her normal appearance not providing flashbacks, "and I really don't need that to happen again, you know."

"Dip, you just need to roll with it. I mean, you were totally ready to charge into Grunkle Stan when he was in the middle of a shower," Mabel reminded him honestly, and his cheeks grew pink.

"That was for a cause," he growled in reply, "finding out the identity of that tattoo was important!" Mabel just laughed and pointed teasingly at him. "Okay, fine! I'll get over it, but I don't want to have to go through that trauma again." Mabel calmed her laughing and peered disapprovingly at him.

"Trauma, humph. I'm not even on the gross scale like Grunkle Stan," she warned him, but Dipper had already begun his thinking.

"Maybe what we need are a set of rules for this room," Dipper nodded to himself as he thought out loud, "that way, as long as we both follow them, nothing like that can happen."

"Uggh," Mabel groaned and fell back against her bed, already unenthused about the idea, "c'mon Dipper, it was just one hiccup in our stay. Can we not write a whole 'Declaration of Lame-Vacation' just over this little incident?"

"Here," Dipper said to himself as he withdrew a notebook and pen from his backpack, "we can start a list of potential rules. Let's start with the obvious," he said, and looked to Mabel. She sighed and put a pillow on her face. "Mabel, this is a good idea if we want some sibling civility."

"But I don't want ruuuules," she whined through the pillow.

"Well I think it's a good idea," Dipper said, "maybe... rule one," he started writing, "always knock."

"Whaaat?" Mabel sat up and looked at Dipper, "you mean every time I have to enter my room, I have to wait, knock, and then, if I get an answer, I can enter?"

"It makes sure if either of us are inside, we have the chance to get fair warning," Dipper argued.

"Fiiiine," Mabel huffed, "wait, what if no one's inside? Do I just wait forever?" she asked with an air of mystery and fear.

"Easy- five second rule," Dipper nodded to his idea, "and that's a sub-rule to number one."

Mabel again fell back to her bed, her face twisted in anguish and disgust. While she had always missed her brother while they had been away, there was a total freedom to having a room that entirely belonged to her. Not a single rule would be written for her living space. Her dad had 'house rules' that applied to her room, but she bent them as much as she could, usually getting to the better of her dad's patience. This would usually end in a heated debate between the two.

"How about rule six," Dipper continued, shocking Mabel that he had already, on his own, come up with four more rules before this new one, "clothing that is clean is to be put away in an orderly fashion, and dirty clothes must remain on the side of the occupant."

"Oh c'mon Dipper!" Mabel shot up again while scowling, "I can tolerate half of that, but not the whole whopping package."

"I feel like there's a joke somewhere for what you just said," Dipper grinned mildly.

"Shuddup," Mabel told him, "kill the one about orderly clothes having to be put away quickly and you've got a deal."

"What, so you can leave your clean clothes in a pile and never put them away?" Dipper asked her bitterly.

"You want me to throw my dirty bras all over the place!?" she demanded, and Dipper's mouth fell open in horror, "cus I'll do it, man!"

"Okay! Amendment approved. Just dirty clothes," Dipper growled as he wrote it down.

"Dude, let's just, like, deal with each other like normal siblings and stuff- these rules are going to be crazy in the end if we _always_ have to follow them," Mabel asked pleadingly.

"This is for the better. We'll have less to fight about if it's on paper already. Who's wrong?..." Dipper asked around like he was uncertain of a answer to an unspoken question, "...why look at that, this set of room rules already tells us who? Wow!"

"This is my room too, you know," Mabel said quietly and angrily. Dipper heard her, slightly stunned at her comment. He frowned, stood, and held the list above her.

"Point me out one then that doesn't work," he demanded of her as he loomed above her. Her eyes scanned the rules painfully. As much as she wanted to deny the fact, none of the room rules actually had negatives. She merely gave Dipper an angered sticking-out-of-her-tongue, and turned away. "Thought so," Dipper sighed.

"Why can't we just chill together?" Mabel asked deliberately.

"There," Dipper said, casually ignoring his sister, as he taped the list to the wall by the door, "fifteen rules to follow when living in this room. This should minimize problems while we're here."

"It's already causing problems," Mabel pouted quietly.

"I heard that," Dipper caught her, and she stared at him, "this isn't about the rules themselves, is it? You just don't want to have any rules for your room!"

"Of course I don't, Dipper!" Mabel cried out exasperatedly, "what kind of maniac wants to come back to their room and be on watch for their own laws?!"

"If you follow your own rules, it never is a problem," Dipper told her, and turned for his bed and began collecting sleeping wear.

"Like we follow rules!" Mabel called back, "if anything, since our first summer, we've broken, like, a bazillion rules! You're telling me you're a perfect little angel at moms?" Mabel demanded from her brother, who was slipping off his shoes under his bed, and retrieving a robe and bathroom supplies.

"I will be changing in the bathroom," Dipper told her with a air of ease, "as it states on the list- change in the bathroom when someone is occupying the room."

"OH, YOU-" Mabel furiously started, but Dipper calmly walked out, "YEAH- YOU... YOU BETTER STAY CLEAN! You... stupid, rule oriented jerk!"

Mabel laid in bed furiously, her arms crossed tightly as she waited for her brother to return. She had many a choice word to use in battle against him, and awaited her chance at full force retaliation. However time passed, and she was left to stew in her negative energy, boiling and reducing into a state of true teenaged bitterness. She had not the will nor energy to even hiss at her brother when he returned from a shower.

"Yes?" he asked as he spotted her mean stares when he entered.

"You're poop," she said in a disgruntled voice, and turned from him. Dipper stood for a moment, wondering if the comically childish insult was worth being mad about. About five seconds of pondering, he shrugged, and eventually was in bed too.

Dipper was, to his shock, first to rise in the morning. Mabel was not far behind on the race to awaken, but the fact he had trumped his sister on the chance to be up before her was glory enough- it meant he got first shot at bathroom usage. His process was little interrupted, with exception to Mabel, who snuck inside the shower while he used it, and stole all the towels.

"Do it!" she called from the other side of the closed bathroom door, holding all the towels with an evil smile.

"Ugh!" Dipper groaned through the door, and he sighed, readying himself for the impending new pop song, "baby just can't leave me hanging, my call for you has me all a swaying, so lets skip the dance floor because we have even more. Now give me one of those towels!"

"You didn't siiing it," She reminded him, but he pounded on the door with his fist, and she relented, "FINE. Spoilsport," she allowed the door to open and she tossed a towel in without peeking. Dipper walked out a minute after with his robe and towel tucked around him.

"You're dead later," he warned her. Her reply was to fluttered her eyelashes and step inside the bathroom with her own abundance of towels and washing supplies.

Dipper stepped into the attic room and quickly began to change. He wouldn't be caught naked like his sister was, and so he made it quick with his boxers and pants. As he slipped on his button up shirt, he peeked outside to check the weather. It looked great; sunny and cloudless, the sky was a bright blue and the trees gently swayed.

"Good day for outside stuff," he told himself as he looked through the window. Pulling back, he then spotted something below, by the lining of the forest.

A small figure in the shadows seemed to be staring up at the window. Dipper pressed himself closer to the window and stared, trying to get a better look at whatever watched him. He couldn't make out any details on 'it', but it remained steady as it peered up at him. As he watched, it revealed a set of glowing red eyes.

"What..." Dipper wondered aloud, and decided he would have to take his chances. He turned and sprinted, running for his shoes and socks. After slamming both pairs onto his feet, he darted down the stairs, nearly running over Grunkle Stan, who spilled hot coffee onto his shirt and pants.

"AH! MY GROIN!" Grunkle Stan roared in pain as Dipper ran past him, through the shop, and finally outside.

"Whoa, dude," Wendy jolted aside as Dipper flew past her, and came to a halt by the gravel parking lot, looking to where he was certain the creature had been, "uh, Dipper?"

"I saw something from the window," Dipper told her while approaching a large bush that was nearby.

"Wait, like a 'something' or a '_something_'?" She asked as he crept closer to the forest edge.

"It looked alive, I had to see what it was!" Dipper said as he pushed his hands through the leaves and branches. He found nothing. "Dang it," he let the cluster of foliage collapse in together, "footprints, maybe it had footprints."

"Here, let me help," Wendy approached as well, and peered at the ground for anything, "how long ago did you say you saw that thing?"

"Not two minutes ago," Dipper told her as he moved aside snapped branches and old rotten leaves from the ground, hoping for an imbedded print of some kind.

"I must have just missed it then, or... aw shoot," Wendy growled and stood up fully, "what if I scared it away when I got here?"

Dipper stood up too, and gave her a look. She appeared upset with the possibility that she may have inadvertently cut short a mystery creature hunt. As he looked to the redhead, Dipper remembered the feelings he once had for her, a candle long since burnt out. However, he didn't like to let her down, and he sighed and straightened up fully.

"Nah, don't worry about it Wendy," he said calmly, "it was probably a crazy shadow I saw or something. I mean, no tracks, no noises... you didn't hear anything coming here, right?" he asked her.

"Not a hoot from the woods," she replied.

"Ah, then lets forget it. I'm sure something else will come around here anyway," Dipper said warmly.

"Thanks man," she patted his shoulder," hey, you ever going to button up?"

"Huh?" he asked her.

"Your shirt, dude," she winked at him, and he gasped, and desperately began to cover his partially exposed chest. Wendy laughed at his desperation, yet gave him a wink, "dude, don't worry. Won't tell anyone I saw."

"Like it's anything to see," Dipper rolled his eyes dissatisfied.

"What?" she turned on him, displeased at his self-discouragement and gave him a strong enough punch for it to make him wince, "no down-talking yourself."

"Ow... okay, okay," Dipper nodded with a half-grin.

"C'mon. The one thing I did hear was Stan shouting something from the Shack," she snickered and Dipper hesitated, aware of the pain he caused his Grunkle in the search for what panned out to be nothing. They bother entered, where the grand picture of Grunkle Stan holding an old-style ice pack to his crotch awaited. Wendy could not contain herself, and left the room and burst out laughing.

"Yeah, real funny, isn't it," Grunkle Stan growled at Wendy and Dipper, who was having a hard time keeping a straight face despite his guilt, "we'll give them out for free to the rest of you shmucks; free dumping of fresh, hot coffee. See how you like it."

"Pass," Dipper instantly said.

"Ditto," Wendy re-entered the room, having fulfilled her humor, and took her place behind the counter, rocking back in the chair, and her feet up.

"I LOVE FREE THINGS!" a dressed Mabel shouted as she descended the stairs, having Grunkle Stan drop the heavy ice bag onto his feet. He shouted as he hopped on one foot, clutching it with his hand, and still holding another to his injured crotch. "What an original dance move, Grunkle Stan!."

"We should totally try that," Soos said as his head appeared from the other side of the doorframe.

"You and me, brotha," Mabel told Soos, and the two began to replicate the moves Stan was making in his pain.

"Oh man, no one told me today was 'party up in the shop'!" Wendy cheered as three people, one injured, and two way too enthused, hopped around on one foot.

"Adding notable ridiculous memories in the shack to file... complete," Dipper said as he watched the three.

"Gah! That's 'Manor' to you!" Grunkle Stan reminded Dipper as he finally calmed down. Grunkle Stan blinked, and turned to the two still dancing, "and what are you two supposed to be? Burned alive flamingos?"

"Inspired by Stanley Pines," Wendy snickered with Dipper.

"Well stop it, before I pay you to keep both feet on the ground for the rest of your lives," Grunkle Stan told them as they calmed down, "eesh, is that how kids dance these days?"

"I've seen worse," Wendy added from the counter as she peeked into a magazine.

"Anyway, since my pain has reached a point of tolerance to my indomitable will," Grunkle Stan said around, "the opening date of the Mystery Manor is in two weeks. We need to begin construction of the exterior. We've got the space inside finally, now lets see what we can do about fixing the outside to look like its worth a buck or two," Grunkle Stan rubbed his hands together expectantly.

"Great, so what's the plan then?" Dipper asked.

"We spend as little money as we humanly can, while maxing out on curb appeal! So, I need a volunteer to go and grab supplies. And also food. Oh, and print out a fake building inspection safety license. We'll need those for later," Grunkle Stan added to himself.

"I can go get them," Soos raised his hand quickly.

"No Soos, I need your expertise in construction and destruction to get as much done with what little we have already. You're going nowhere," Stan said to his handyman.

"My job here, once again, is secure," Soos nodded happily.

"Wendy, how about you? Get into town and grab some stuff," Grunkle Stan told his other worker. She looked to him blankly, and shrugged unenthusiastically. Stan clapped a hand onto his fez, astounded at her lack-luster reaction, "What? You're kidding me! You always want to bust out of this place!"

"Eh, not feeling it today," she told him in a flat tone and a turn of the page.

"Well that changes my perception of your laziness," Grunkle Stan taunted her, which she made no reply to, "okay. You two," he pointed to the twins, "get into town and grab stuff. Building material, like nails, but not too nice, okay? Then food- you know, that really processed stuff that lasts through a nuclear holocaust? All of them."

"The usual microwave meals," Dipper nodded.

"We can grab run-gurt! It's yogurt in a tube specially designed not to allow anything to come out unless you're running," Mabel said excitedly.

"Whatever. Here's fifty bucks for the food, and fifty bucks for the work stuff. Don't take forever, I want this place looking nice-ish sooner than never," Grunkle Stan said strongly, and he tossed the money to Dipper casually before turning back to the living room.

"Grunkle Stan, fifty bucks isn't going to get us much in line of... uh... building supplies," Dipper told his Gran Uncle worriedly.

"Look, I just need essentials. Nothing fancy- just get me the absolute, bottom of the bucket, bare minimum crud you can scrap off a house-depot floor you possibly can," Grunkle Stan told him as he disappeared, "same goes for the food!"

"Fine," Dipper turned for the door.

"Hey!" Mabel ran and caught up with her brother, "I'm going too."

"Sure," Dipper said as he stepped outside, "but anything you pick that we can't deem as house-hold oriented doesn't go onto this money, it goes onto yours."

"Psh. Fiiiine," Mabel said, skipping past him to her bike. Dipper approached his car, and started to check his pockets for his keys. "Dip!" Mabel called him, and he turned. She was giving him a incredulous glare. "Hop on!"

"...what?" he demanded, staring at the pink bike.

"It'd be a waste of gas for us to keep going back into town using both car and motorcycle," Mabel told her brother, "so, hop on!"

"Mabel, we're getting groceries, we need the car," Dipper reminded her with a single chuckle.

"Fine," she growled, getting off her precious ride. Dipper nodded and felt around for his keys. Only then did he realize his wallet and cell phone were upstairs. "Uh oh, did someone forget their keys?" Mabel teased, while dangling her own.

"Mabel, if I'm going on the bike, I at least want some form of protection. It will just take a second to get my keys," Dipper told her, and he turned for the door.

"Hey, you going on the bike?" Wendy asked suddenly as she popped out from the doorway.

"Yup!" Mabel smiled deviously at her brother, who looked between her and Wendy with uncertainty.

"Uh..."

"Well, one of you take this," she said, and tossed out with a solid underhanded swing to Dipper her own bike helmet, "play it safe, man."

"Uh, thanks, I guess," Dipper nodded to her with a truly faded smile, turning to face a gleaming Mabel, "we still should take the car. Just give me a few-" A loud, wood-splintering crash echoed from deep within the Manor.

"HEY! IS DIPPER STILL HERE!?" Stan shouted from within the building, "TELL HIM WE NEED STUFF FOR THE STAIRS! SOOS BROKE IT!"

"Hey, can you guys also bring some metal sealant?" Soos poked his head out from their room window, "I dropped my solid metal penguin statue down the stairs. Totally, like, shattered it too. Not the penguin, though, phew. Poor Lupe," Soos shook his head solemnly, "he's been through enough."

Dipper stared at the man above him, his mouth agape. The universe itself, once again, had conspired utterly against him and his efforts to play the game safe and responsibly. With a grimace, he turned back to his absolutely triumphant sister.

"You'll need these," Mabel grinned devilishly and handed him her pink sunglasses. Mabel slid on her own black sunglasses, enjoying every moment. "Well, what are you waiting for?" she asked, as he stared at the bike.

"N-nothing!" he stated, putting the helmet on, and regrettably putting on the very girly sunglasses.

"Waaaay too much swag," Mabel sneered as Dipper cautiously approached the bike, and tried hopping on. He was wobbly, and almost fell off. "Dude, just hold on," she told him while watching his struggles.

"To what!?" he demanded, "the wheels!?"

"Or me, it doesn't matter," she told him with a laugh, and turned on the bike, "but seriously dude, hold on."

Dipper lost his sense of dignity and hesitance as soon as the bike spun around. He very quickly wrapped his arms around his sister's torso, and held for dear life as she nearly back-wheeled out of the parking lot.

"Please, can you stay on the ground?!" Dipper called in the midst of the noise as they rode down the street.

"WHAAAT!? I CAN'T HEAR YOU!" Mabel called aloud.

"I SAID CAN YOU STAY ON THE GROUND!?" Dipper tried again, screaming his best. Mabel looked back at him once and grinned, and Dipper's eyes widened in terror. "No, no, No, No, NO!"

Arriving at the joint food and construction depot, Dipper Pines left the bike a more traumatized individual than he could have ever expected. No less than five wheelies came about from his request for a calm ride, and he had screamed no less than five times to match. He was absolutely certain that death would have come for him at any of those moments. Stepping off the bike quickly his legs buckled and he quickly grasped a parking limit sign by the parking spot.

"Well, looky here," a voice called at Dipper. He turned and found an overweight and shorter cop with dark skin and full gray moustache pointing at Dipper, motioning to his comrade, a taller and pale man with a buzz-cut and large nose, "city boy here is having some trouble on anything less than four wheels."

"We should show him, huh Sheriff?" the deputy asked, nudging his partner on the shoulder.

"Let's do it," Sheriff Blugs told Deputy Durland impressively. They then quickly hopped onto Segways, and with a triumphant roar, the two blasted out of the parking lot at an astonishing thirteen miles an hour. They passed a field tractor by the road, and the farmer driving it cheered as they zoomed past.

"What a couple of roadsters!" the farmer cried aloud.

"Whoo!" Mabel said as she dismounted from the motorcycle, thrashing her head around to allow her hair to breathe, as she had a bad case of helmet hair, "you okay there, Dip?"

"I have yet to determine that," Dipper said weakly, trying his hardest to gain even footing, "I officially am going to get you back for this."

"Ohhh, I'm soo scared my knees are shaking. Oh, wait," Mabel sneered at her brother, "that's you! Bwahaha!"

Dipper quickly shoved her head out of the way grumpily, and Mabel gave a curt 'whomp,' but she still laughed. Walking inside the massive store, they instantly were surprised with strange mixture of smells; both the scent of cooking roast chickens and woodchips being sawn off on the other side of the building drifted around them.

"Well, the cruddy food is right there. Let's grab it all while we can," Dipper said deliberately, attempting to move away from his embarrassing entrance with his sister. He grabbed and started pushing a cart and began his search for the ultimate savings he could.

"Ohhh, Dipper," she called as they entirely skipped an isle of snacks and sweets, "let's grab some sugar-rolls!"

"No way, they cost a ton, and they only come in packages of eight. Grunkle Stan would totally hog all of them, or you would," Dipper scolded her, and she tossed them back over her shoulder.

"Pluh. Fine," she grumbled. "At least can we grab some super-ultra-highly-industrial sugar dots?" she pointed at a large cartridge of sugar.

"Ew, no," Dipper said, "they aren't even edible unless you boil them, I think."

"I could totally break them down with my awesome grinding teeth powers," Mabel threatened the cartridge.

"Mabel-"

"Okay, fine, Dippy-downer," Mabel rolled her eyes and followed suit.

Many more times Mabel would try to grab an unnecessary food item for her joy, and each time she was shot down by her brother as she tried placing them, or sneaking them, onto the cart. Her desire for sweet and delicious snacks barely swayed as they moved away from the cheap food items and towards the construction side of the massive building.

Finally Mabel began to calm down. As she walked with Dipper, she began to roam from displayed and semi-neat folded clothes to entire sale racks; staring at ridiculous skirts, jackets, and of course, sweaters. Dipper grew tired of her distractions, and Mabel eventually was infected by his defiance, and she gave into his forward attitude. She would be damned, however, if she would merely walk around with her brother in silence.

"So, bro-man," she tried after a moment of walking, "what have you been up to, anyway?"

"Huh?" he asked, uncertain if she was actually asking a sane question or not.

"What have you been up to?" she asked again, "I am communicating in a way the Dipper can comprehend, yes?"

"Yeah- uh, yes, you are," he said, counting away discount nails from a bin, "like, do you mean at school?"

"Sure! School, home, between, whatever," she explained excitedly, "I bet it's all super smart and boring," she hung at the front end of the cart, blocking Dipper's vision.

"It's not boring. I joined the math club, chess club, the puzzle league united, and the book club," he listed off, "and I'm thinking about making a paranormal mysteries club, but-"

"Jeesh, I wasn't wrong," Mabel laughed as she let herself roll into the cart, and fell gently onto the spare nails, "ow."

"Serves you right," Dipper said as she crawled out and back to her 'hanging-off-the-cart' position, "and I've been at the top in school grades for a bit. Gives me tutoring chances. That's paid work once I'm a junior," Dipper told her with a cocky smile. She stuck out her tongue to the side, displaying her disinterest in the subject. "Well fine then, miss 'excitement is my middle name'," Dipper called her out, "what have you been doing?"

"Martial arts!" she proclaimed with a burst of energy and volume.

"Really?" Dipper asked, genuinely surprised, "you started learning karate?"

"Not karate! I've discovered this really new, and super cool subject known as 'The Paths'. It's so new that it barely has a history behind it at all!" Mabel explained excitedly.

"Does that make you a martial-hipster?" Dipper asked her.

"Makes me awesome, is what it makes me," Mabel told him proudly, "I get to be part of living history!"

"You any good at it?" he asked her as casually as he could, trying to mask his immense curiosity that was growing inside him.

"I think so," Mabel shrugged, "my teacher seems to think so anyway."

"Wow. Well, that is pretty cool, gotta give it to ya," Dipper shook his head as he considered his impressive facts were all club memberships or leaderships. His sister could have been learning to break stone boards in half with her face, and here he thought being the undefeated junior chess master at school was bragging rights.

"Aww yeaaah," Mabel grabbed her shoulders casually, crossing her arms in a 'victory salute', "Mabel Pines: official badass."

"Okay, okay, enough stroking the ego," Dipper laughed and poked her nose, which caused her to flinch. She grinned at him after rubbing her insulted nose. He had lightened up, just for a moment; long enough for them to really enjoy their company. Looking to him with her own grin, she couldn't help but wonder the inevitable question for their departure.

"So," Mabel started, "when do you think we're heading back?"

"I told mom about two weeks," Dipper said easily as he looked at sealants for the roof, "about as much time I hope this crazy blue glowing stick thing mystery can be solved."

"Only two weeks?" Mabel repeated, deflated. Dipper looked towards her, her saddened tone not lost on his hearing.

"Mabel, it's a good amount of time," Dipper reminded her.

"That's like less than twenty days," Mabel told him sadly.

"It's exactly fourteen," Dipper sighed at her inaccurate estimation.

"Oh c'mon," Mabel groaned, "we can stay a bit longer than that, can't we? I mean... we just got here, you know?"

"I know," Dipper nodded as he selected the needed product and tossed it into the cart, "I get you, Mabel, I do. I... I don't really want to go either. But we have our own obligations. I've got my job that's going to help me towards college, and you've... well, you have your martial arts stuff you'll want to learn."

"Well, yeah... I guess you're right," Mabel shrugged and hopped off the cart to walk ahead. She gloomily looked down an aisle, hoping to find possibly bright colored 'something' to put her mind to ease. Down the large aisle though, she did spot something that piqued her interest.

A blue and white hat that matched Dipper's revealed itself before disappearing into an row. It wasn't the hat that truly befuddled her, but the appearance of the wearer. It was shorter than her, with curly brown hair. Mabel stepped away from Dipper and the cart, approaching the aisle.

"Mabel?" Dipper called to his sister as she walked away.

"Hold on," she held a hand up as she approached the row. Stepping inside, she found only a collection of winter shirts very out of season and several broken mannequins. She brought herself to the opposite end, scanning the other end for signs of movement.

"Mabel, what are you doing?" Dipper called her from the other end.

"I thought I saw a kid that looked just like you," she said with wonder, "wanted to let him know how adorable he looked."

"I didn't look adorable," Dipper defended himself.

"Okay, macho man," Mabel rolled her eyes and walked over to him. Her steps stopped as she looked to her side. A single mannequin stared blankly forward, and she glared back. "You got something to say, bub?" she growled with a throaty voice at the plastic creation, poking it in the eye once. It bobbled around, and collapsed to the floor, falling apart around Mabel. "Let's go," she stated nonchalantly.

"Good idea," Dipper agreed as they hurried off.

They left the depot store quickly enough, stopped at the photocopiers, and still got back to the Mystery Shack in good time. On the way back, Dipper had bag duty, which coupled horribly with his new fear of riding a motorcycle with Mabel. They nearly lost all the bags twice, due to Mabel trying to frighten her brother with risky swerves from the bike, and he nearly lost the bags each time in favor of balancing himself. Arriving to the Shack, they were met by Grunkle Stan and Soos, who were ready for construction.

"Wonderful. Soos, you and Dipper start fixing that darn roof to the best of our materials ability. I am not above you using tree sap to fix things," Grunkle Stan told Soos and Dipper.

"Sure thing, Mister Pines," Soos nodded, and happily nudged Dipper, "ladder's over here, I'll show you how this sort of thing works."

"And you," Grunkle Stan gave Mabel a look, "shove these away, will ya?" he said, plopping the bag into her arms as he turned and left for the living room. "And when you're done, slap a few of these around the sides of the building," he pointed to the copied safety certifications.

"Sorting time," Mabel began to hum an upbeat theme song from a T-V show she had seen once in her past. She walked past Wendy who was in her usual spot, feet up, face inside a magazine, happily reading whatever she could. "Rubber noodles in the cabinets," Mabel hummed aloud, and stuffed away each item of terrible nutrition.

"Mabel," Wendy called from the other room.

"Yo!" Mabel called back from the kitchen.

"Dude, how does Dipper handle being on the bike?"

"Oh my god Wendy," Mabel got up and walked into the other room, better to talk to her friend, "you should have seen his face! He was first kind of freaked out, but then- WAAHH!" she let out a terrified squeal in the same pitch as Dipper had on the ride to the depot. Wendy and her both started cracking up and laughing.

"Quiet the mockery!" Stan called from the living room, "I can't hear these scrubs being scammed on TV!" The two snickered and relaxed.

"You know, me and Soos were kinda bummed when you two started heading out yesterday," Wendy told a laugh-recovering Mabel, "this summer is going to be way cooler since you two are going to stick around."

"Whaaat? We aren't that cool," Mabel shrugged off the comment, lying on the floor at ease as she and Wendy talked.

"Cooler than a lot of people around here," Wendy admitted with a hint of sadness.

"But you have nice friends around here," Mabel pointed out. Wendy put her magazine down, better to talk.

"Yeah, not really much to do with my friends anymore, honestly," Wendy admitted.

"What? But you're awesome!" Mabel told her strongly. Wendy laughed.

"Think so, huh? Well... things got between us all one way or another. Like Robbie and me," her voice dropped considerably and her excitement fell as she recalled her ex-boyfriend.

"Oh, I forgot about Robbie," Mabel mused.

"Wish I could," Wendy stated with annoyance.

"How is he, then?" Mabel asked, an evil grin growing as she considered nasty plans against him, "we should strand him in the middle of the lake and see how long it takes for the Gobblewonker to show up."

"Like it would want to eat him. He's nothing but skin and bone," she reminded Mabel, who gagged while sticking out her tongue, "he actually left town, you know."

"Whaaat? He got over you?" Mabel asked with curiosity.

"Eh," Wendy seemed uncomfortable with the topic suddenly, rubbing the back of her neck, "sort of. I'm... not really sure I want to talk about it."

"Whoa, Wendy," Mabel stood and walked over to her, "that's like the first time I've ever seen you uncertain about... anything!"

"Yeah... change of topic, please?" Wendy asked with a plea.

"Yeah, of course! And what else to change topics, than with... SPARKLES!" Mabel reached into her pockets and launched into the air two handfuls of glitter, which flew everywhere in it's varying rainbow colors. "Let the colors touch your soul."

"You are the most prepared person for random needs I've ever met," Wendy informed Mabel.

"Glitter is more important than people realize," Mabel lectured, "it can turn projects of 'B' plus into an 'A' range any day! Also, I was going to throw them onto Dipper if he screamed too womanly, just to let him know his accomplishment," Mabel added. Wendy chuckled, and leaned back against her stool, and her feet were back up. Mabel stared at her older friend for a moment, and the idea for advice came to her. "Hey, can I ask you something?"

"Mmhmm," Wendy said off-handedly as she picked up her magazine.

"So... Dipper and me, we've... kinda become distant," Mabel said as she leaned on the counter, "and I think we can feel it. We're sort of... I think we're uncomfortable with each other now."

"Really? You two?" Wendy asked, peeking to the side from her magazine, "man, what happened? You two get into a big argument?"

"Uh... not us," Mabel looked around as she considered talking about her families status.

"Huh. Well, you know, when people get all 'weird' with one another," Wendy started aloud, "you got two things you can do. Tackle it directly, like a freaking bear," Wendy said aggressively, "or work it out slowly."

"I like tackling things, but I feel like that's not really helping in this one," Mabel grumbled. Wendy shrugged, and Mabel groaned as she turned and slid to sit against the counter, "but waiting for it to solve itself sounds worse."

"Dude, I didn't mean waiting around," Wendy looked to Mabel over her magazine, "it means you take small steps together until you both are okay with it."

"Oh."

"Yeah. If you two are just sitting around waiting for the problem to fix itself, it's either going to just sit there, or grow into something worse," Wendy said firmly, "take some initiative, girl. You're good at that."

"Thanks, Wendy," Mabel smiled as Wendy leaned back again and lazily began to read her magazine.

"No problemo, dude," Wendy said. Mabel stood up, dusting her hands of the glitter that covered the floor.

"Well, I'd better go get that-" Mabel started, but stalled as she saw something from the kitchen. It was the same fleeting image she had spotted earlier at the depot- a small figure with curly brown hair and blue and white hat. Without a second thought, she bolted to the kitchen. Coming to a halt as she slid atop the tiles, Mabel scanned around. The capped figure had been disappearing behind the wall that lead to the fridge. With a seconds hesitation, she reached out and pulled the door open.

"What..." she mumbled as she looked around. The fridge was large enough for someone to hide inside, but it was currently nearly empty. As she closed the door behind her, she began to wonder what she was seeing. Then she stepped on one of the rubber-noodle packs, which exploded around her in a mess. "Whoopsies," she sighed, and then grinned. She realized the noodles could also be thrown onto people in a celebrative manner should an occasion arise.

"You want to put this handy sealer before it's been nailed," Soos informed Dipper, who nodded strongly, "and after that, you just move onto the next one."

"Seems simple enough," Dipper said with confidence.

"Ah, do not allow the deceptively simple work here put your mind at ease," Soos said with a warning, "The trick is making sure you can do it, like, five hundred times."

"Five hundred times?" Dipper cried aloud, "is there really that many?"

"Eh, give or take twice that," Soos shrugged, "and then more when your Grunkle decides where to put the rest of the rooms."

"Rest of the rooms?" Dipper asked, starting on one tile quickly. "Grunkle Stan isn't done building yet?"

"Nope," Soos shook his head, looking at the roof tile he had started on, masterfully finishing it within moments to Dipper's shock, "the construction was delayed until the building's condition was deemed 'safe to live in'."

"... Mabel and I were living in the attic of a building that wasn't deemed safe to live?" Dipper asked.

"Uh, probably," Soos continued, "but there's always the chance that it wasn't until after you two left that it was considered unsafe."

"I suppose that's comforting," Dipper said, finishing his first tile as Soos finished his fifth, "so what other rooms is he finishing? I saw the new bathroom, and sort of a new storage place?"

"Oh, that's just for his convenience. You see over there?" Soos directed Dipper's attention with a jab of his glue-brush in the indicated direction, "those markings on the ground?"

"Yeah," Dipper nodded. In chalk outlines and several small orange flags, Dipper could see what could eventually become a least a dozen new rooms, and what appeared to be smaller room within each. "What're those supposed to be? Cages for animals?"

"Hmmm," Soos contemplated, "I actually think that's how Mister Pines put it. But no, they're going to be motel rooms."

"Motel ro- wait," Dipper turned fully to Soos, "you mean Grunkle Stan, the guy who hates dealing with customers that doesn't involve him getting their money, is inviting them to stay at his place? In an extension of his home?"

"Me and Wendy's idea, actually," Soos chuckled, "it was sort of a joke. We told him that he could make a lot more money if people stayed here, but he actually looked it up. If he called his place a 'haunted' or 'mysterious' motel, he could make nearly double what a standard motel makes."

"Oh... well, trust Grunkle Stan never to pass up a dollar if he can afford to," Dipper shrugged, comfortable in the idea that at least the motel would be completed after he left.

"You know. Smart businessman, isn't he-"

Dipper had stopped listening to Soos. He had gone to wipe his brow, as the summer sun was beating down on his head. In the turn of his head, he saw it again. A shadowy figure peering from behind a bush, looking directly at him. He nearly dropped his supplies as he turned and stared back. The creature remained put, but after a moment, it flashed bright red eyes.

"Soos!" Dipper called loudly, not daring to turn away from the animal below and across the parking lot, "Soos!"

"What is it? You having some trouble with the sealant can?" Soos asked, hardly turning to Dipper.

"No, look below!" Dipper pointed, and in the fraction of a second he turned to see Soos, the animal had once again gone. "Oh- what?! C'mon," Dipper growled, angered by the speed the creature departed.

"Ah yes, some of life's greatest wonders," Soos said, wandering over to Dipper to look the same bush, "is it true if you jump in a bush and land it, you'll be totally cool? Like in the movies? Ah, I really wanna try, but then I think, boy, that would suck if I missed, huh?"

It had been hours since Dipper and Soos had gone to the roof for maintenance. Mabel had retreated to her room since then, going through her notepad of bets she had made with her dad on things related to Dipper. So far she had crossed off on a double-digit list things like 'growing facial hair' and 'is part of clubs relating to intellect'. With a great wicked smile, one particular note remained uncrossed- 'doesn't scream like a girl'.

"Mabel!" Dipper called from the hallway outside, knocking loudly on the door.

"In here, nerd," she called back as Dipper entered the room, "enjoy the roof work?"

"Eh, Soos did most of it- wait, Mabel, I think I have a creature stalking me," Dipper told her as he entered. Mabel, who had been lying on the bed, shot up and looked to him with a serious stare. "You saw it too?"

"I keep seeing someone running around that looks like you," Mabel told him with energy, "like little baby you was still here, or something."

"Wait... baby me?" "Dipper repeated with confusion.

"Yeah, like... smaller," Mabel put a level hand closer to the floor to emphasize the smaller stature of the thing in topic. Dipper ran to his bed, lifted the pillow, and pulled the journal to himself.

"I was wondering since earlier today," Dipper said aloud," when I saw it looking at me from that window," Dipper pointed behind him as he sat on the floor," what it could be. But Mabel," he looked to his sister, who sat down next to him, peering into the book," if you're seeing someone who looks like me, we now have a credible suspect."

"The... shapeshifter," Mabel gasped in fear.

"No, thankfully," Dipper sighed in relief, "remember, we froze him back into the cryostasis pod."

"Oh. Who's dreaded suspect number two?"

"A doppelganger," Dipper flipped pages and came across a shimmering figure, one side a normal looking, happy man, the other a shadowy creature with illuminated eyes, "they stalk a target and eventually attack them, and then take their place," Dipper looked to his sister. To his disbelief, she was holding her hands to her mouth, trying to contain laughter. "What?"

"That is the silliest name I've heard yet," she managed, and then just burst out with a few short laughs, "okay, okay, I'm done. Wait," she added three more distinct barking laughs, "I'm good now. So, impersonating... does it say why?" Mabel asked.

"Uh... 'the cunning doppelganger has much to gain from impersonating others, such as stealing their property over time and hoarding it in a secret treasure trove, or just because it has a sad sense of humor'," Dipper read aloud.

"So he wants to replace you?" Mabel checked, "What should we do about him?"

"I don't like the idea of just waiting for him, but going to get it could be really dangerous," Dipper thought aloud, and scanned the page, "it says that 'directed bright light can reveal its true form, and prolonged exposure can cause it injury'."

"Dipper," Mabel told her brother seriously, "if this thing wants to grab you, we shouldn't wait for it- let's be proactive about this monster," she paraphrased from earlier, "and get it first!"

Dipper gave his sister a look. It wasn't like her to be interested in a mystery case so quickly, not without having an ulterior motive somewhere in the mission. Yet as he looked to her, no thought of other desires could reason her interest.

"Okay," Dipper nodded, "let's get some high powered flashlights and leave. We have a doppelganger to catch." Only then did Mabel smile with amusement. "What?"

"Since it's trying to get you, would it be called a... dipper-ganger?"

"Mabel, that's stupid."

"Heh heh. Dipper-ganger."

* * *

><p>Oh noes! DOPPLEGANGER BEING ALL SNEAKY LIKE?! This bodes not well, my friends. At least it's got that nifty little weakness, eh?<p>

How are you all enjoying this so far? Kind of hoping I can hear from a few of you dudes out there. With this being a new story, I would love a consensus of opinion. A lot of reviews so far have been positive, which is great!

Well, you guys know the drill. Review for me, you glorious men and women! REVIEW! AHAHAHAHA! It makes me especially want to have next week pass by extra fast!

Now, for this inconspicuously placed yogurt on my desk- I shall endeavor to devour. (EZB peels open the deliciously creamy looking yogurt, and slams the entire packet into his mouth, plastic and all.) NOM.

(EZB then explodes.)


	5. Familiarity: Part 2

The time had come. Half an hour passed by as Mabel and Dipper checked off their list of preparations for the hunt: Boots were slipped on; fresh batteries were added to their flashlights; bug spray was applied- twice for Dipper; Mabel had slapped on a collection of camouflage stickers to her forehead. The twins descended the stairs, warriors ready for their battlefield in the woods. Their mission: finding the stalking Doppelganger and bringing him to justice. As they reached the bottom and turned into the hallway, they each took a second to give each other a final glance over. They nodded with confidence, and stepped forward.

"Hey guys," Wendy said as they stepped through the gift shop, "what's- whoa," she finally looked past the magazine, and saw the look in their eyes, "uh, who's got the target on their backs?"

"A Dipper-ganger," Mabel growled in a tone that would make an action hero proud.

"Doppelganger- Mabel, c'mon, that's stupid," Dipper told his sister disapprovingly.

"I've heard about those. They pretend to be you while they mess with your life and friends, right?" Wendy asked, and then grinned, "and he's gunning for you, huh Dipper?"

"It- yes," Dipper nodded, "we've seen something sort of lurking around in the shadows stalking us. So, we're going to take the battle to-"

"We're going to VAPORIZE it!" Mabel cheered, holding her strong flashlight above her head with valor.

"They don't like light?" Wendy asked.

"Yeah, so if I pointed it at you," Dipper turned on the flashlight and shone it against Wendy's shoulder, "you would be in pain."

"Oh, the agony!" Wendy held the back of her hand against her forehead, "what then? Just tell it to scamper?"

"If it's nice, yeah," Mabel nodded, "otherwise, we're off to cook some supernatural stalker."

"Hey dudes," Soos stepped in through the front door.

"SCANNING!" Mabel whipped her flashlight around and directed a beam at Soos, who froze in place, his eyes wide. Nothing happened.

"Uh... I swear I didn't know about the additional condiments costing extra," Soos said worryingly, watching Mabel with concern.

"He's fine," Dipper held down his sisters arm as he turned off his own flashlight, "we're going to be looking for a monster that's sensitive to light."

"Outside?" Soos asked with concern, "just so you two know, a storm is really going to start picking up soon."

"What?" Dipper asked as he and Mabel approached the screen door. Just as Soos said, dark clouds were forming on the horizon. It was also getting cooler, a breeze drifted down from the tops of the trees.

"Ohh, that's pretty," Mabel said in awe as she watched the distant clouds rumble and cackle with lightning. She turned her head towards the woods, and gasped. "Now that's what I call spooky. Spook-tastic."

"Huh?" Dipper turned to the direction indicated. Drifting through the woods was a deep blanket of fog, perfectly grey and wispy. Despite the wind growing around them, only the edges of the forest particularly stirred- the fog mostly undisturbed.

"Dip, you know, maybe hunting today isn't turning out to be such a good idea, you know?" Mabel asked, prodding her brother's shoulder.

Dipper considered it too. This was a bad omen, if anything. The fog enough was reason to worry; should something be hiding closer to the ground, they would be almost entirely unaware of it's presence until they were right on top of it. Then there was also the storm to consider, as it billowed miles and miles away, foretelling of a vicious gale to come. Yet Dipper had the feeling, peering into those creepy looking woods, that if he didn't take the chance to move out now, and find that monster, it would be coming for him in the late of the evening.

"Let's do this, Mabes," Dipper said after a quick breath, and sprayed himself one last time with bug spray.

"Blaah! Eugh! Enough, Dip, that stuff is flying everywhere," Mabel coughed as she nearly inhaled half of his spray, "hmm, but it does taste like pennies, so that's not bad."

"You two be safe, okay?" Soos called to them as they stepped out and headed towards the woods.

"Relax, man," Wendy nodded to Soos, "they got it under control. Mystery Twin powers, go!" Wendy shouted after them as the door closed.

Their steps were heralded by the scraping gravel as they approached the forests edge. Thunder rumbled in the distance as they found themselves looking into the woods perfectly at home in any horror movie. The trees acted as ghostly columns, preventing their sightline from going further than fifty feet or so. Simultaneously flicking on their flashlights together, they gave each other one last look full of twin connection and stepped past the edge.

Quickly the sky's light dissipated and they found themselves inside a darker, cooler summer day. The woods, as they had remembered it, felt of thick, still air. The sounds of the storm were dulled and the breeze could do little to reach them. Instead, the sounds of breaking twigs under their feet and distant animals echoed around them. Their flashlight beams scoured around for a target, yet spotted nothing.

"Man, it's creepier than I remember," Dipper admitted to his Sister as they walked further in, the woods growing darker and darker.

"It's just letting us know it hasn't lost any character," Mabel grinned as she peered up with her flashlight, "isn't that right, spooky-vibe woods?"

"I'd rather not hear any communication from the woods at all," Dipper told her. A roar from the distance had them spin in its direction, both flashlights directed ahead. Mabel stepped slightly closer to the sound, peering past the closest trees, but found nothing close. As Dipper looked around, he only then realized he had made an error in their plan. "And I just realized we are only prepared for the encounter against a Doppelganger."

"Dude, bro," Mabel turned to her nervous brother, "don't sweat it. You got yourself a sibling trained in the deadly art of awesomeness, whomp," she informed him, swinging the flashlight in her hand, and accidentally bopping his forehead with the flashlight, to which he flinched and scowled at her, "oops."

"Ow... right. Let's just keep moving," Dipper looked around once more, and they continued. Time slowly lost its meaning as they passed tree after tree, bush after bush, and the occasional rock that looked like a face. The fog grew heavier and taller, and Dipper's nerves grew. Calls of unknown animals and beasts echoed far inside the endless wilderness before them. A clap of thunder, much closer than they had expected, rocked the air. Mabel leapt up and Dipper gasped and whipped around, his eyes darting around. Mabel quickly laughed loudly a moment later.

"Oh, good one, you cheeky thunder, you!" Mabel wiggled a finger at the sky.

"I'm not liking this situation anymore," Dipper admitted as he looked to the sky, where the little he could see was a dark navy and grey.

"You want to chicken out of this?" Mabel snickered as they looked around themselves.

"I'm not saying we should back out," Dipper turned to his sister, "just that... you know, maybe keeping a close proximity to the shack is a good idea."

"You're scared," Mabel teased him quickly. He glared at her.

"I'm not scared," Dipper said in defense.

"Really? 'Cus until there was thunder, you were all ready to," Mabel 'cocked' the flashlight like a shotgun, "cook some doppelganger like it was hunting season for shape-shifting freaks. Now you're all," she wiggled her knees and moaned in fear, only to begin laughing at him.

"Laugh it up. Since you think I'm such a coward then," Dipper coldly said to her as she gained her composure, "why don't you lead?"

"Oh! But I'm sooo scared," Mabel mocked her brother utterly, but turned and started walking away, "let's check out here, scaredy-cat."

"I'm not scared," Dipper told her strongly. Mabel laughed, but said nothing more, using her focus to watch ahead and keep an eye out for figures in the fog.

The fog had entirely risen above them and now was drifting around them in clouds. Their vision was utterly obscured. Mabel was doing her best to look around, and while Dipper had nothing better to contribute or add to their search, he had a distinct lack of progress. Nothing but the creepy feeling of being watched and fog drifting all around them accompanied them as they walked around.

"So," Mabel suddenly asked from ahead, "how's living with mom been?"

"Uh," Dipper got a moment to think as he stepped over a particularly thick log, "she's herself."

"No details?" Mabel prodded for more information as she pushed ahead.

"She's working at a business now; not working at trading company anymore," Dipper said simply, turning his back on her to check behind them, "so she's been really busy. And you know, being part of clubs keeps me busy." A quick whoosh behind Dipper had him gasp, and he spun.

Mabel was gone.

"Uh," he spun around, "Mabel?" he called, "oh... uh oh," Dipper tried peering through the fog for a hint where she had vanished to, but to no avail. "Mabel!? Mabel, come out, this isn't cool! Mabel!?" he shouted louder and louder as he ran ahead towards several trees, "MABEL!?"

"BWAAAH!" Mabel screamed as she swung upside down from a branch just above Dipper. Dipper nearly had a heart attack and shrieked, falling to the ground below him, gasping for air, and still managing to point his light at her face. "Oh my god! You should have seen your FACE! Hahahahaha!" Mabel roared with laughter as she pointed at her brother on the ground.

"Mabel, what the hell!?" Dipper growled angrily as he stood back up, brushing the forest floor off his pants and arms, "you had me seriously freaking out that something got you!"

"No, bro, that was soooo worth it!" Mabel continued to laugh upside down, her hair dangling beneath her with ease, flowing in her casual rocks back and forth while on the branch.

"You suck," Dipper pushed past her moodily, and she let herself flip right side up and drop down again. She continued to laugh as he moved on ahead.

"Aww, c'mon Dipper," Mabel rolled her eyes as she hurried up to catch him, "I'm just messing with you."

"You can try that when we aren't neck deep in the worst woods to be neck deep in, with a storm coming, and a monster out there that wants to replace me, and terrorize my friends and family," Dipper reminded her heatedly.

"Hey," Mabel tried coming up next to him, "I'm a mood-lightener. Shwoop," she jumped a little ahead of him to speak face to face, "You know I can't take 'too serious to be handled'-" Dipper took several longer steps to move past her, a clear message that her attitude towards the mission so far was doing her no good in favor with her brother, "alrighty... I'm sorry, okay?"

"Let's just find this stupid thing before it gets me, okay?" Dipper said ahead of him.

Minutes drew by slowly. To them, time was working against them; deliberately slowing and causing the frightful hunt to continue. Yet forward, through the indefinitely huge woods before them, they pushed on. With the little foresight she had, Mabel already regretted pushing her brother's buttons. He was tense and irritated as they journeyed ahead, communicating less and less with her. She would occasionally spot a strange flower or mushroom or even small crystal poking just above the dense fog-line, which she knew would normally have gathered his attention and allowed him to simmer down. Yet he remained uptight and direct, scolding her for being easily distracted.

"Ugh," Mabel winced as a cold water droplet hit the exact center of her scalp and ran down her back, "cold tingles. Not all that fun."

"We've been out here forever," Dipper growled as he looked around, "c'mon you stupid perverse living mirror! Show yourself already!" he called around.

"Dipper," Mabel walked up to her brother, "maybe we should head back."

"Oh, now you want to go back," Dipper incredulously said.

"Well, it's starting to rain, isn't it?" she pointed above without looking, as more and more drops of rain fell from the canopy.

"So who's afraid of getting wet?" Dipper turned to his sister, nodding bitterly.

"Okay, yeah, I was a jerk back there," Mabel sighed with exasperation, "okay?" she asked him as he looked at her. His eyes glared into hers, and Mabel shrugged, trying to offer an unspoken peace-treaty. Dipper huffed loudly and turned back, marching ahead. "Seriously, you got to un-tighten those screws, Dip," Mabel added worriedly.

"I'm fine," Dipper informed her. Mabel was not stupid, nor unperceptive. Of course Dipper wasn't fine. She knew that some of the blame for his attitude rested on her, but as he walked away and she followed suit, she could only feel he was taking this 'hurt feelings' act a bit far.

"If you say so," Mabel said, "Just, you know, take it easy." Dipper snorted in response to this. A tiny barrier Mabel held in her mind, reserved for when Dipper was feeling moody, snapped into two, and she lost her will to restrain her opinion. "You don't need to be all snooty," she barely mumbled.

"What?" Dipper spun around, staring at her with piercing eyes, "want to say that aloud?"

"Well, you're being kinda jerk-ish. So, yeah. You're being snooty," Mabel defended herself as the rain poured down from above.

"Yeah?" Dipper asked as he stepped closer to his sister, "sorry if the idea of being replaced by a monster doesn't appeal to me as much as it does you."

"Dipper, I don't like it at all," Mabel cried aloud, "but we're not going to get anything done by standing around in the woods, at each others throats!"

"I wouldn't be so uppity if you could take it seriously for just a few minutes, and not squeeze a laugh out of me every five minutes!" Dipper shouted at her.

"I already said I'm sorry!" she angrily shouted back.

"Well, you-" There was the sound of crumbling earth and a loud ripping noise. Dipper, who had only been staring at his cross-armed sister, hadn't watched where he placed his feet. The last place he had stepped had been by the side of a very steep hill, where the earth was loose from the rain. Mabel had seen, for a split moment, the shock and fear Dipper went through, tripping and collapsing to his left, vanishing into the fog.

"DIPPER!" Mabel shouted, getting closer to the ground. She could hear Dipper grunt and yell as he collapsed further down, but all she could make out was his flashlight, which shone its bright light down with him.

"MABEL!" she heard once more, and then the light as well vanished. Mabel could almost feel him vanish from the face of the earth, like the fog had swallowed him up entirely.

"Oh- no, DIPPER!" she bellowed below, her hands by the side of the soaked loose earth by the hill.

She knew exactly what she was going to do. Her brother was without a flashlight, and was separated from her. If that monster was going to show itself, it was going to be now, while he was defenseless, or never. With a single sigh, she relaxed her body, smiled at ease, and then leapt up and flew down the side of the muddy cliff-face.

Her feet slid and she hopped over rock and clay as she descended, the now pouring rain doing little to disperse the fog below her.

"Dipper!" she called as she grasped a limb of a tree she passed. Holding onto the tree, she scanned around, still unable to make a single solid possible suggestion as to where he had gone. She let herself drop lower, landing on the soft ground of the soaked forest floor. Quickly wiping her brow of the mud and rain, she scanned around further. "Dipper!"

She was on flat ground now. With the steep hill behind her, Mabel quickly found the broken flashlight. Its fragmented pieces were strewn about, reflecting the light of her own working flashlight. Yet there was no sign of Dipper anywhere.

"What... Dip!?" she called around, "Dipper! Are you hurt?" she called to the dark woods. "Dipper! Talk to me!" A snap of branches behind her had her whirl around, her flash light on the source- Dipper was leaning against a boulder, his arm tucked under his vest. "Dip!"

"Mabel," Dipper said, holding his other hand to his face, trying to block out the light, "hey, tone that down, would ya?"

Mabel stalled instantly. With conviction, she stayed her ground, and kept the light on him. He breathed heavily, watching her with confusion until he nodded with a sigh.

"Okay, if you think if I'm a Doppelganger, I'd be scorching now, right?" Dipper told Mabel. She sighed with a nod and approached comfortably. "I think we should go back now," Dipper admitted.

"Here, give me your arm," she asked him as she came to his side, "we have to climb that hill."

"Ugh... might as well," Dipper said with a grim smirk, and they turned towards the hill, and started the steep incline. "Hey," Dipper looked to his sister, "sorry about earlier."

"Oh," she looked to him, surprised with his tone, "hey, it's nothing. I was being a butt-face, too."

"Yeah, I- ack!" Dipper spat away from them, as a swarm of bugs rushed into his face, "dang gnats!"

"Ha! Looks like they like you," Mabel snickered as Dipper was left to shake his head around, desperate to shoo away the flies.

Several hundred feet away, Dipper Pines stirred.

He opened his eyes slowly, and started blinking out the rain water that covered his face. Along with the sticks and leaves that had stuck to him in his long tumble down the side of the hill, he could feel mud sticking to his clothes and his face. He looked around, and gasped as he stood. His gut hurt and it was hard to breath. Standing up, he could barely manage, "Mabel?" with a trembling whisper.

The fog had closed in around him, and there was little to no light left. Looking to his feet, he couldn't find his flashlight. With a quaking and fearful realization, he knew he was totally defenseless. He was hurt, though not horribly, and without the one great weakness the monster he hunted had.

Something darted behind him, in the fog. He turned, desperate to spot it and could only see the path it had taken through the fog. Light sounds of pitter-patter of movement circled him, hiding just out of sight.

"Hello? Who's there?" Dipper managed to cry out in his heavy breathing, still trying to normalize his standing. To his surprise, there was a gasp just out of sight. "Hello?" Dipper asked, "if you think you're going to replace me, then you have-"

There was a loud squeal as a small dark figure pelted out from behind a tree, and lunged at Dipper. Out of shock, he tripped and fell backwards, and found himself facing a well-built spear, directly at his nose. Following its length to the owner, he found a small person with beady red glowing eyes staring at him.

"Have you given up, shifter?" the creature holding the spear asked Dipper with a creaky and tense voice.

"Sh-shifter?" Dipper asked in a gasp for air.

"Do not toy with me, beast," The small creature said, stepping closer.

"You... what are you?" Dipper asked.

The creature finally could be seen by Dipper. It was a short, yet skinny man with thin, knobby arms and legs with dark brown skin. It wore an expensive set of gear, suited for a hunter or pioneer of dense jungles of the nineteenth century. He had a long-pointed nose and a scrutinizing look about him as he looked over Dipper.

"Why... why haven't you shifted yet," the creature asked aloud, nearly poking Dipper in the cheek with his weapon.

"Because I can't shape-shift," Dipper told him, "I'm a human!" The creature gasped, and stepped back, the spearing raising up to point above.

"My word... then you're the one boy we have reports on!" the creature said, reaching inside one of his varying pockets in his vest. He withdrew a small yellow crystal, and with a flick of his finger, it grew a light from its core until it was bright enough to illuminate both Dipper and the himself, "you are much taller than our reports implied."

"Uh... thanks," Dipper said, getting to his feet, "I... what- err, who are you?"

"Ah, my name is Sibs. I am a sentinel for the eighth Goblin watchmen crew," the goblin named Sibs lifted a hand to Dipper. Dipper reached down and took it, using only three fingers to over-wrap the goblins entire hand. The goblin, he realized, only came up to his hips, taller than the gnomes he had encountered before.

"You're... a goblin?" Dipper asked aloud.

"That's right, my boy," Sibs the Goblin sentinel nodded, "and a damn good patrolman at that. But where are my manners... follow me, I can lead you to my home. I can't say we have any accommodations for your size, but we can get you out of the rain for now."

"So, you're a sentinel? For Goblins?" Dipper asked as he began to follow the goblin Sibs.

"Quite. I'm not sure who else I would be patrolling our forests for, dear boy," the Goblin gave Dipper a quick cheeky look as he moved ahead, "now tell me, what on earth brings a human into these dangerous woods- ah," The Goblin interrupted himself, "perhaps you best save those answers for our governor."

"You have a governor?" Dipper asked as he ducked under a low-hanging branch.

"Oh yes. We aren't barbaric, after all," Sibs told him, "now, step here," Sibs pointed with his spear to a certain rock on the ground with an odd symbol painted on it, "and here," he pointed to another, and Dipper realized there were many Symbols all around him on various exposed rocks. As Dipper stepped on the last rock, his senses tingled with energy. It felt as if he had just passed through a weak electrical field. His ears buzzed and his skin tickled as he stepped off the rocks. Dipper looked back once behind him, and was certain he saw a wall of gentle shimmering light. "And here we are," Sibs stated clearly for Dipper to hear, "Goblitropolis."

"Whoa," Dipper managed with a small sigh.

A sprawling collection of homes and buildings about half the size needed to accommodate humans panned out before Dipper. Rock tiled roads lead many goblins through the maze of a city that was Goblitropolis. The windows in the homes and buildings that were built into boulders and trees all glowed of different colors, and as Dipper stepped closer, he could see the same kind of crystals used by Sibs present in the rooms.

"My word!" A Goblin cried ahead, spotting Dipper and Sibs approaching, "A human!"

The outcry attracted the attention of many Goblins, who paused and turned to stare at Dipper. Many of them had the look of fear in their eyes, but others gasped in awe. Dipper was immensely surprised with their appearances- they were dressed with surprisingly human outfits he could have sworn came from the Victorian age. Many goblins wore top hats, and the lady-goblins wore large elaborate dresses and sported ruffled umbrellas.

"A human!" more Goblins cried aloud, and as Sibs and Dipper approached, a crowd gathered excitedly to greet them.

"Welcome to Goblitropolis!" one cried, "Sentinel Sibs, how was the search?"

"I will report, but I must bring this young man to the Governor," Sibs said aloud to his comrades, "his being here is tied to the beast of late."

The Goblins, at the mention of the 'beast', murmured and parted for Sibs and Dipper. As the two followed through and walked down the street, the group followed them, talking animatedly about the arrival of a human. It was clearly the new topic of gossip, for the crowd would mention to one another their interest in taller humans, despite their limited interaction with them. Sibs gently pushed past them, beckoning Dipper to follow.

"Are you really just a boy?" one goblin, looking younger than Sibs, asked from the sidewalk of the street, "you are much too tall to be a boy!"

"I'm a teenager," Dipper explained briefly.

"What on earth is a teenager?" the goblin asked back.

"I have heard of it," a gentleman Goblin walking past him had also stopped, and was eager to answer, "It is a stage in a human's life where they become rebellious and eager to compete. He is a rebel of their society."

"A rebel! How romantic!" A goblin lady swooned as she stared at Dipper. He quickly looked away from the three and followed Sibs. Dipper was uncertain on how to feel towards being romanticized by Goblin women.

Sibs took a turn on the street, and the two found themselves looking at the face of a large boulder, well carved out and decorated like a marble town hall. Columns and balconies were carefully placed around, with bright crystal light shining out from inside.

"What is the meaning of this Sibs?" A guard at the front door of the building called to Sibs, "you've brought yourself a large friend. I suppose he's friendly, then?"

"Of course! This is the human that Strooder and his hunters have been watching," Sibs announced aloud, and Dipper looked in shock to the Goblin, but Sibs continued. "We must speak with Gig!" The guardsman looked between Dipper and Sibs, and nodded, turning and entering the building hastily.

"You've been watching me?" Dipper asked Sibs.

"Not me, dear boy, Strooder. He's a talented hunter, who's taken the task of slaying a horrific beast that has plagued our lands," Sibs explained, "there was a reason I could not trust you at first sight."

"Then... that's who was watching me from the forest edge, in the bushes," Dipper came to conclusion, thinking around, "this... Strooder guy?"

"Most adept of you, young man," Sibs told him. The doors opened again, and out walked a taller, lavish goblin who wore a large monocle and very tall top hat. He gasped as he stared at Dipper, and then smiled warmly.

"On behalf of Goblitropolis, I bid you welcome!" he extended his arms up to Dipper, who took his hand in a shake. At this, the crowd around them cheered, catching Dipper by surprise. Aah, very good," the Goblin before Dipper continued, "I was hoping you would be well mannered, considering your size. My name is Gib."

"You're the Governor?" Dipper asked with a tiny grin.

"That I am, my lad," Gib the Goblin Governor said cheerily, "now, who might you be?"

"My name is Dipper Pines," Dipper said around.

"You are quiet well mannered for a human," Gib said with a great smile, "it is welcome to find a tall one who does not attempt to drop and kick us across large distances."

"Uh... back at you," Dipper said with curt nod, "I thought goblins are sort of violent and... mean?"

"It all depends on the leader," Gib explained easily, "you have someone sensible and kind, we all will be. We quiet enjoy the peaceful lifestyle here, in Goblitropolis, don't we all? Unless Gnomes are involved. Nasty little insects."

The mood of the goblins instantly flipped. They had been excitable and happy, but at the mention of Gnomes, many hissed and snarled angrily, portraying the image that Dipper had come to associate Goblins with.

"But," Gib, the Goblin Governer continued after a pause to re-adjust himself to a polite persona, "my boy, what brings you here?" Gib asked earnestly.

"I'm in these woods looking for a Doppelganger," Dipper stated aloud. The crowd around them murmured at the mention of a Doppelganger, and Dipper continued. "My sister and I think it was going to try replacing me, so we were going to take the fight to it."

"Remarkably brave," Gibs nodded his head with commandment, "but you mentioned your sister- where is she now?"

"We got into an... uh, we got separated," Dipper added sadly, feeling his cheeks heat slightly and his throat tighten in shame. It had been stupid of him to get so upset at his sister for being herself. Of course she would have played a prank or two on him when he was trying to be too serious.

"Well," Sibs stepped forward, addressing Dipper still, "I can't say anything about a Doppelganger in these woods," he told Dipper, who blinked and leant in closer, "but a monster of many forms does lurk in these woods."

"Wait... no Doppelganger?" Dipper asked around, and the many Goblins shook their heads, while some spoke to one another darkly.

"We have not encountered a Doppelganger in many years," Gib said with authority.

"Then... what was running around while looking like me?" Dipper needed to know. Gibs gave the boy a serious and studying stare. After a moment, he nodded, and stepped down from the doors, approaching Dipper.

"We are at war, my boy," the Goblin Governor said grimly, "for nearly two years we have been fighting a deathly game of cat and mouse with a creature that feasts on flesh and enjoys the suffering of those smaller than it. We know not where it came from, but it surely is a beast of nightmares: for it takes no permanent shape."

"Did you say it doesn't keep a single shape?" Dipper asked, a familiar twinge of cold fear running down his spine. "Does it ever take the form of a large roly-poly bug? Like a beetle that curls up? No?" he asked when the group shrugged. "What about an older man? Jacket and gray moustache?" Dipper continued. The goblins gasped and looked around, their reaction giving him all the indication he needed to put one and two together. "It's him," Dipper whispered to himself, an icy feeling racing through his nerves.

"You... know this devil, my boy? This creature," Gibs stated around, "has been warring with us! Devouring our men, women, and Children! It destroys our homes, our families!" Gob shouted angrily. Dipper felt weak in the knees. He had encountered this creature once in his life, and it was only because they left it frozen in a tube deep underground that he had entirely discounted it from possible suspects. But if it had somehow escaped, it was bad news for the world. It could impersonate people almost perfectly, let alone shape itself into whatever form it wanted, making it a deadly creature.

"Strooder and the Hunters return!" a goblin cried, and the goblins faced the street leading to the Town Hall. A physically well-built Goblin with goggles, followed by several other goblins of similar form, all wearing nearly the same gear Sibs did, approached. Strooder looked up and found Dipper's face.

"It is as we feared," Strooder said in a quiet yet rumbling voice fit for a mysterious hunter as he looked at Dipper.

"Don't worry, my friend," Sibs approached Strooder, "this one is a human. He means us no harm."

"That is not the problem at hand, Sibs," Strooder walked past his friend and to the Governor, "the beast was last seen by the western hill. We were tacking it when a human girl appeared. She left in the company of this boy here," Strooder wove his hand above him towards Dipper, "and has left our lands since."

"She left with someone who looked like me!?" Dipper demanded loudly, stunning the Goblins momentarily, "where!? Where did they go!?"

"Towards the human building in the woods," Strooder said quickly. Dipper made to turn, but Sibs held his hand back.

"You don't mean to face that creature on your own?" the Goblin worriedly asked.

"It doesn't matter what he is; my sister's life is in danger! If any of you knew your family was nearby to that monster, wouldn't you run to help!?" Dipper asked around to them. Goblins around him nodded and agreed.

"Get the charm of permanence!" Gib called to the guardsman behind him. "My boy, if you mean to face him, we won't allow you to go alone."

"You... you're coming?" Dipper asked incredulously. The Major nodded, and the Guardsman returned, holding up a large metal collar of bronze metal and green jewels laden into its side. "You know, you guys are a lot cooler than I expected you all to be."

"Goblin society has changed much since our last interactions with humans. We even got our fashion tips from a human in this region," the mayor stated with a grin as he lifted his top hat, "quite works for our figure, doesn't it?"

"Take this," Strooder the Hunter took the collar, and handed it to Dipper, "if you can place this on the beast's form, it will force it to remain in that form."

"You mean we can trap it into one body forever?" Dipper asked in awe.

"Goblin magic and engineering will ensure that," Gib firmly said, and spoke to the crowd, "now, I need volunteers! We will be going to this beast with the help of our friend here and bring our tormentor to justice!"

"I can't wait around!" Dipper called, and literally leapt over the crowd of Goblins, "I need to help my sister!"

"Hold the beast off long as you can! We will arrive post-haste!" Sibs called as Dipper ran through the streets, carefully avoiding running over Goblins in his haste. Quickly he found the magical barrier that hid the city of Goblitropolis from the rest of the forest, passed through it and found rain in his eyes again.

"Mabel, please be safe!"

* * *

><p>"We're almost out of the woods," Mabel said cheerfully as she watched ahead, and saw the forests edge.<p>

"About time. Man, I can't be more ready to go inside, warm up, dry off, and read some of that journal," Dipper said to her happily.

"What, you're giving on the whole Doppelganger thing already?" Mabel asked in surprise, "and here I was thinking we would lay some traps just in case he showed up."

"I love the idea," Dipper said with a grin, "anyone trying to replace me has another thing coming."

"Oh yeah," Mabel agreed with a curt nod, "put up enough flashlights, then a tripwire is activated- SHAZAM! He's ashes in no time!"

"Maybe a bear trap as well," Dipper considered.

"But... it said a Doppelganger only is effected by strong sources of light," Mabel reminded him, "man, I think you hit your head harder than you think."

"Oh, yeah, probably," Dipper shrugged and rolled his eyes, "actually, I think I can walk on my own. Thanks Mabel," Dipper told her and he walked slightly faster.

"Ha," Mabel snickered as he walked past, a trail of bugs following him, "they're still onto you, huh?"

"Darn bugs!" Dipper cried, waving his arms above his head, his hair dancing around as he tried tossing off the tiny insects.

As she watched this, something put her on edge. She only just realized that bugs were attacking him. Not just buzzing around him, they were landing on him, taking a moment off of their wings, and then buzzing off again. Something that they would not ever want to do, considering the amount of bug spray he had applied onto himself.

Mabel took several strides closer to Dipper, leaned closer, and sniffed him. She pulled back, her eyes wide in shock. The distinctive smell of pennies had entirely vanished from Dipper. She then looked to her shoulder, and sniffed herself. It wasn't as strong as she thought it would be, but the scent of that bug spray was still present, even on her.

"Mabel?" Dipper asked her, giving her a concerned look as she seemed to be staring into horror itself.

"I- WE- uh," Mabel brought herself to a stable set in mind, now truly worried she had made a huge mistake, "we need to take a shower. Smell really bad, you know?"

"That's what happens when you go sliding down a muddy hill," Dipper shrugged and continued on.

It was no longer just the smell. Mabel watched her brother walk ahead, and the frightening idea came to her head that he was not her brother at all. He was acting too pleasant. Not miserable, angry, or upset; but apologetic and accepting. She would have loved to think he was just being nice, but she was cold and wet. That meant he would be too. He should be tired and slow and grouchy, not this upbeat.

"Hey, uh," Mabel said aloud as she caught up with him, "do you remember what Grunkle Stan wanted us to do earlier? Like, I'm just sort of freaking out that we're going to get back and all we're going to hear from him is how we didn't finish our work."

"What, the roof tiles?" Dipper asked with a smile, "nah, me and Soos finished that up real nice."

"Oh, right," Mabel nodded, displeased with the answer, although it was correct. "So," she considered something else that she could quickly throw at him to test his legitimacy, "what do you think about my training?"

"It's pretty cool, actually, Mabel," Dipper said easily, "you know, maybe you should show me some of that stuff later. I wouldn't mind knowing a thing or two about how to keep my butt from hitting the ground."

"Okay," Mabel stepped ahead of Dipper, staring at him intently, "Dipper, you are freaking me out, okay? You've been waaay too happy, and waaay too cool while we're soaking wet and tired."

Dipper stepped back, staring at his sister with uncertainty. He looked back and forth, his head shaking slightly.

"What, you want me to apologize for being nice to you?" he asked her angrily.

"I want to know... who's the girl you had a crush on while we were here before?" Mabel tested her supposed brother. He sighed and stared at her.

"Wendy. Mabel, if I didn't know you so well, I'd say you were the one acting weird," Dipper told her, and grumbled, "let's just get inside, okay?"

"I... okay, sorry," Mabel let her brother walk past, and she watched him go. He had certainly gotten the answers all correct, yet she couldn't shake the feeling she had already had. She could smell mud and sweat, but not copious amounts of bug spray. He knew all those answers she asked him, yet could account for each instance seeing a Dipper-shaped person running around at those times. She wondered if she needed to test him once more. "So, you were talking about mom earlier?" she asked quietly. Dipper sighed and turned to face her, anger darting in his eyes.

"Drop it!" he said, "I don't know why you're so suspicious of me because I thought it would be a good idea to be nice for once, but it's getting on my nerves!" Dipper turned and stormed ahead of her.

They finally left the forest edge, and the two trudged quietly through the rain, already soaked, even as thunder rumbled above them. Watching her brother slightly lead, Mabel's mind oozed of guilt. Not necessarily for upsetting her brother- but that even after proving himself accountable each time she tested him, she still felt like he wasn't the real one.

"We're back," Dipper called as he stepped through the door.

"Sup," Wendy said from behind a magazine she held up.

"Hey Wendy," Mabel sighed gloomily as she stepped inside.

"So, no luck with the-" Wendy dropped her magazine, and the instant she had let her eyes fall onto Dipper, she froze. The twins stared at her and she stared back, her eyes wide as they soaked in Dipper's image.

"Uh... Wendy?" Dipper asked after an awkward moment.

"Huh?" Wendy blinked, and stood up quickly, staring at Dipper, "Yeah?"

"You're... staring at me," Dipper told her.

"Right. Yeah. Uh, hey, uh..." Wendy shimmied her way from behind the counter to stand before them, her eyes still locked onto Dipper.

"Wendy?" Mabel finally piqued in, and Wendy blinked, and looked to her. It was after Wendy gave Mabel a hard look that a light passed through the Redheads eyes, and she turned back to Dipper, her face more at ease.

"Hey, you guys know there's no mud allowed in here. Boots go outside," Wendy told them with authority. Mabel raised her eyebrows and was about to ask what was going on. Then something even more shocking brought her pause.

"Oh, right!" Dipper laughed, patting the front of his forehead gently, "duh! Sorry, Wendy," Dipper said pleasantly, and turned to head back outside. Mabel turned and watched her brother take a few steps away, and her eyes grew wide.

"We don't have a rule like that," Mabel told her brother with conviction, "Grunkle Stan doesn't care what comes into the building if there aren't tourists in the building." Dipper stopped. She couldn't see his face, but she was certain she saw the smallest twitch in his shoulder. He turned around, an embarrassed smile plastered onto his face.

"Right, what was I thinking-"

"Mabel, walk away from him, now," Wendy said with strong, deadly serious tones.

"What?" Dipper asked, his smile faltering as Wendy slowly reached over the counter, staring at Dipper with a focus that could have ripped a hole through his body. "Mabel, come on. You already tested me and... oh damn," Dipper sighed, looking at Wendy as his smile fell away, "I'm surprised you caught me so easily. What's the secret?"

"Get back!" Wendy shouted, and swung once at the person who looked like Dipper, but he ducked under her attack. She made to swing at Dipper again, but he clutched the baseball bat and yanked it past him and it flew aside. He ran forward, smashing into Wendy, tossing her off her feet. While she was fast to get back on them, Dipper was surprisingly fast as well. He made to kick at Wendy while she was standing back up.

"I don't like these kind of secrets!" the false Dipper cried aloud, and swung and missed with a rising kick. Wendy had dodged, and charged against Dipper, slamming into his torso. She ran him into the wall with a loud crash. "Nice hit there, Wendy girl," Dipper said, and his face melded and became Wendy's own face, "but you don't hit hard enough. Maybe this will have you remember to hit harder?"

Wendy was stunned enough for the Wendy-faced Dipper to give her a strong punch in the gut, tossing her to the ground, and then stomping her back. Wendy cried aloud as she had the wind knocked out of her.

"Leave her alone!" Mabel shouted, and threw the baseball perfectly at the faux Dipper. It slammed into his head, and he shouted aloud and cringed, walking away while cradling his head.

"You damn kids," the Shapeshifter groaned, changing the entire body into that of the old man from the Baron Num Num's canned beans. Grey hair and moustache grew along with the taller, slimmer body with worn jacket and goggles on his forehead. "You're just as painful as I remember."

"Didn't we freeze him?" Wendy coughed as she stood, stepping back to be with Mabel.

"Oh, yes you did," the Shapeshifter growled angrily, "for nearly a year I remained frozen, aware of every second that passed, unable to move an inch... then, one day," the Shifter stepped forward, "an energy surge broke the stasis tube. I was free again, and took to the surface in a matter of days. Forests are wonderful little buffets, you know?"

"An energy surge?" Mabel asked.

"It doesn't really matter what it was," the shifter chuckled, looming over them, "now that I'm out, I can live as I want to, a life without rules or restraint from you single formed cretins. And that starts as soon as I get some payback for locking me up."

"Where is Dipper?" Mabel demanded of the monster before them. The Shapeshifter grinned after a moment.

"Who knows?"

"Hey dudes," Soos appeared from the hallway, "there's a- oh... sorry, I wasn't aware we had a customer. Uh... have we met before?" Soos asked, looking at the Shapeshifter.

"Oh, of course," The Shifter smiled, and morphed his face to match Soos's, "remember me, chubby?"

"IT'S HIM!" Soos bellowed as he instantly remembered their last encounter.

Wendy took the opening. While the monster looked at Soos, she lunged forward, and made to kick at his head. The Shapeshifter turned quickly, and in a powerful sweep, caught her leg tightly and spun with her in his grip.

"WENDY!" Soos and Mabel shouted. Wendy was slammed into shelf after shelf as she was whipped around, her head and face getting the blunt of the attack. After a quick whirl around, he launched her forward, and Wendy flew through the air and crashed through a window, landing roughly outside.

"One down," the Shapeshifter grinned, "three to go," he turned to Soos, who was instantly uncertain as to what to do.

"What the heck is going on out here!?" Grunkle Stan's voice carried from the living room.

"Hey!" Mabel cried, catching the Shifter's attention, "you want someone to pick on? Try me for size!" The shifter looked at her, and grinned excitedly.

"Alright, missy. I think I will," the Shifter approached Mabel steadily, and she retreated. She knew exactly what she wanted from this- a chance to remove the monster from inside the shack. She pushed the door open behind her and darted out quickly as the Shifter followed her. The last thing she heard from inside was the hurried footsteps of Stan's approach.

"HOLY CRUD!" Stan's voice cried from inside. "WHAT HAPPENED IN HERE!?"

"Soos, find Wendy!" Mabel shouted to the Shack.

"I'll find backup!" Soos shouted as he ran for the backdoor.

"So... it was you I kept seeing around here, impersonating Dipper?" Mabel asked.

"His younger form, yes," The Shapeshifter established excitedly, "one smaller and less likely to draw attention from anyone, excepting you," he added while moving closer, "I could hide very well, you know. After this, I won't ever need to hide again," the Shifter said to her as she retreated to the parking lot, rain splashing against her, "not from you, your brother, or your family."

"You might want to reconsider that, you big jerk," Mabel said, and halted her retreat, letting the Shapeshifter advance.

"Well, aren't you just an arrogant little girl?" the man leered as he entered striking range, and he swooped down at her. She darted to the side, and delivered a strong kick to the side of his head. Her shoe slammed into his ear, and he cried out in pain, stepping to the side, cradling his injured head.

"Arrogant that!" Mabel told him with a strong grin.

The Shapeshifter roared and charged at her. He punched and swung at her, and she avoided his attacks, her small size making her a harder target, and her agility allowing her to maneuver around his swings.. After he got his chances to strike at her, she retaliated. After one particularly forceful swing the Shifter missed, she ducked under him to a crouch, and leapt up, delivering a massive kick under his chin and to his neck.

He gasped and cringed as he lifted himself back, holding his neck tightly. Mabel made sure to maximize her well placed hits to her favor. Darting around him, she struck at weaker areas of his body, disabling them in a fury of swipes and jabs. Each hit she delivered staggered him slightly, and he eventually fell to his knees. Mabel took one big step back, and landed a strong descending punch against his head.

The Shapeshifter fell to the ground, shaking and groaning in pain, massaging his jaw. Mabel stood, breathing heavily above him as she watched his movement. That had been the first time she had ever fought anyone outside of sparring, and she could only grin in accomplishment.

"Ohhhh, Mabel in the HOUSE!" Mabel cheered as she rocketed her hands above her, glaring down her opponent, "that's right, sucker! Can't top the Mabes, not one second- ow ow ow!" she added, shaking her knuckles as she had punched a hand into her palm, forcing her nerves to remember the pain of punching any kind of bone.

"Maybe not," The Shapeshifter growled, staring at her hatefully, "but you can't stop yourself."

Mabel gulped, already aware of his insinuations. One moment, she saw a sprawled and defeated older man; a second later, she was looking down at a mud-covered version of herself. The false-Mabel grinned and stood up, stretching her neck and arms as she recovered from her injuries.

"You have a lot of talent, don't you?" Faux-Mabel asked the real Mabel, unnerved at hearing the mean intentions flowing from her stolen voice, "I can feel it; your body has retained lots of muscle memory. I've learned so much just from copying your body!"

"I'm the real deal," Mabel announced strongly.

"We'll see about that," Faux-Mabel taunted her, and leapt forward.

The two engaged in the fight once again. The two Mabels, avoiding, attacking, blocking and parrying each other endlessly, were evenly matched. Lightning crashed overhead as two equals battled each other, unable to gain an upper hand.

The real Mabel was already exhausted. The day had worn on her, and without the adrenaline pumping through her veins, she would have fallen to the ground, panting for breath. Yet she stayed up, forcing herself to act and counter against the imposter version of herself. She was slowing down though, having to retreat more and more from the fight, stepping down or away from an attack rather than using it as an opportunity to advance.

"Humans, and their limited stamina," Faux-Mabel grinned as the real Mabel stepped back, catching her breath, "you thought this plan would work in your favor!?"

"I honestly don't do all that much thinking," Mabel shrugged off the taunt, "especially when my friends are concerned."

"Oh, and your brother?" Faux-Mabel asked quickly, sarcasm dripping in her voice, "you certainly are so willing to sacrifice for him, aren't you?"

"... what do you mea-"

In the moment Mabel had allowed herself distraction and self-doubt, the Faux-Mabel jumped forward and kicked her in the chest, throwing her backwards. Mabel gasped and tried to stand as her impersonation stepped closer.

"Silly thing, aren't you?" Faux-Mabel said as she approached. "Just the mention of your brother, the same you so casually tease and bother, and your focus comes all crashing down."

"You're a huge poop-faced jerk," Mabel said as she stood back up, ready to face her evil reflection.

The sound of running had both Mabels turn. Dipper appeared, his eyes wide as he came to a sliding halt. He scanned both of them, and sighed.

"Oh, not this again," he groaned.

"Dipper!" Faux-Mabel said as she stepped closer, still distant, "stay away from her!"

"What!?" Mabel turned and stared at the fake Mabel, "you don't tell my brother what to do!"

"Stop her! Grab a stick!" the fake Mabel cried as the real Mabel stepped in and attacked her again. "Quickly! Bro! Do something!"

Dipper looked around quickly, and found a large sopping wet branch. Lifting it up, he turned and found himself stunned. Mabel had clearly under-sold herself when they had talked earlier about her studying martial arts. Both Mabels were fast and agile, moving around the other effortlessly while countering and striking one another.

"Déjà-vu nightmare... not what I need right now!" Dipper shouted at the two of them, and they broke apart, breathing heavily.

"Oh, now you need a breath!?" one of the Mabels cried, "what happened to 'pathetic human stamina', huh?"

"What!? I didn't say that, you did!" the other Mabel growled.

"I... Uh," Dipper stumbled as he watched the two of them. One was able to face him as they circled each other, keeping their distance. She looked from the Mabel opposing her to Dipper, and mouthed, 'you can do it'. Dipper started stepping closer, trying to keep himself against the back of the opposite one, but they darted to one another, and Dipper was facing the second Mabel. She looked to him, and watched her. She appeared to be trying to think as to what to do. A moment of uncertainty passed as Dipper watched the second Mabel stare at him.

"POOF!" she cried, and reached inside her pockets, and out from her hands flew sparkles and soggy noodles.

"What on earth?" the other Mabel couldn't help but be stunned, staring at the posed girl before her.

"No contest," Dipper stated excitedly, and rushed forward. Dipper then landed behind the closest Mabel, spun her around, and slapped the enchanted goblin collar around her neck.

"Wait, what are- WHAT!?" the one Mabel roared as she clutched the collar, its jewels now glowing brightly. "WHAT HAVE YOU DONE!?" The Faux-Mabel made no hesitation as she punched Dipper straight across the face, throwing him up into the air, and glared down to the bronze looking collar.

"Dipper!" the real Mabel screamed and ran over, tackling the other Mabel away from her brother, and they rolled onto the ground, gravel scraping their arms. The Faux-Mabel stood quickly, and roared. She stood there, panting, and then the collar glowed white hot, and the Shapeshifter howled in pain.

"WHAT IS THIS!?" the Shapeshifter screamed as she clutched at the collar around her neck. "I-I CANNOT-"

"A gift from the Goblins," Dipper coughed as he stood, "for all the hard times you brought them."

"My form!" the Shapeshifter gasped, and squeezed her eyes shut, only for the jewels to glow hot again, and it screamed loudly, "it's been solidified! how dare you! HOW DARE YOU!? I'm going to show you both pain! Great, unending pain!" the Shapeshifter growled as it approached, fury pouring from its eyes. Dipper and Mabel stood together, ready for the fight.

"Not so fast, loser," a voice called from the forest behind the Shifter. It spun as the twins peered past it.

"Wendy!" Mabel cried," you're okay!"

"Enough about me," Wendy said, stepping out of the forest with Soos.

"Our friends want a word with you, pal," Soos said, hooking a thumb behind him.

Angry glowing red eyes peered hungrily at the nearly helpless Shapeshifter. From behind the two teenagers, a massive army of Goblins stepped out. Many of them were armed with bows, arrows, swords, shields, and some had tiny flint-lock muskets. The Goblins all cheered and jeered at the monster, swinging down from trees and charging from the bushes.

The Shapeshifter turned, and found Mabel and Dipper, ready for action. It spun once again, spying the encroaching army of Soos, Wendy, and hundreds of Goblins. In a desperate bid, it turned and ran for the Shack. An air-shaking boom toppled the Shifter off its feet and away from the building. A large hole in the ground was before the shack as Stan stepped out, a shotgun with a smoking end in hand.

"No freaks allowed inside without proper authority," Grunkle Stan informed him with a cocking of his shotgun, "and that means me. And I say NO!"

"No... no!" the Shapeshifter started to get back to its feet just in time for the army of Goblins to swarm. The Shapeshifter, removed of its ability to change form, shrieked and yelled in pain as it was bound up in many ropes and pulleys. Once it had been bound, fifteen goblins approached, and lifted the Shapeshifter into the air, and carried it back into the woods, snarling angrily. "Damn you all! DAMN YOU!"

"Man, I don't look that great when I'm a fuming monster, do I?" Mabel asked as she watched herself get pulled into the woods.

"That's okay. You look fine most of the time, anyway," Dipper patted her shoulder. A cluster of goblins ran past the two, also hissing and gnashing at the air. "I don't know about them enjoying their peaceful ways, anymore."

"But they looked so dapper with their little suits!" Mabel told Dipper excitedly.

"Oh, great and wise Soos," Gib, the Goblin Governor approached Soos, one of his knees bent, "long has it been since we last spoke. Have you come to a decision of our proposal?"

"No way man," Soos said happily as the Goblin army retreated into the woods, "you guys should totally continue ruling yourselves. You all seem a lot happier with elections and political candidates than a single sovereign leader. But totally keep that fashion- it works wonders for you all. Hey, but before you go, what's the plan with the shifter?"

"We will put it on trial, which will more than likely lead to an execution, and then a grand feast," Gib told him.

"Oh wow. What's the dinner plan?" Soos asked with a chuckle.

"The Shifter," Gib told him plainly. Soos nodded in contemplation to their plans.

"Not going to tell you guys that it sounds gross, but I'm just going to let you all enjoy your victory party," Soos nodded to the tiny ruler.

"Very well, great Soos," Gib stood and bowed once to the tall man before him, "but know there will always be a warm welcome to you, and your friends. This has been a triumphant day for us all. Now, I'm off to let the Gnomes know we're the ones who defeated the Shapeshifter. We'll be bragging about this for years." With that, Gibs turned, and hurried off.

"Wow," Wendy said as Mabel, Dipper, and Grunkle Stan walked up to watch the Goblins fade into the distance," they totally respect you, Soos. What's up with that?"

"Oh, I met them once when my car broke down a few years back. They had this jerky tall ruler guy with frizzy hair and skinny pants, and I told them that society had come a long way since mean kings and dictators. They revolted, and now live in a democratic society."

"Goblins, living democratically," Stan said unbelievingly, "now I've seen everything."

"And they wear tuxedos with top-hats," Dipper told Grunkle Stan, who rolled his eyes and turned back towards the shack.

"I'll be drying off and watching Broker-Nova, in case anyone needs me to shoot something else," Grunkle Stan called as he retreated.

"Wendy, are you okay?" Mabel approached the redhead, who nodded.

"Looks like I'm made out of as tough stuff as my dad is, cus I'm good." she grinned, padding her arms with her hands strongly.

"What do you mean?" Dipper asked, "what happened to you?"

"I was tossed around like a rag-doll and thrown out a window," Wendy said calmly, "which looking back, actually was kinda cool, if I didn't think the entire time I was about to die."

"Dang," Dipper said, giving the red head a final look-over in astonishment, "Wow, no kidding about the made of steel thing. Well, I'm cold, tired, and exhausted. Inside time, please," Dipper told the other as he turned for the Shack.

"Wait!" Mabel cried, and leapt at her brother, giving him a sloppy wet hug in the rain. "I'm so glad you're back!"

"I- okay, okay," Dipper said, pushing his sister off with a half-smile, "can we get inside though? We're going to catch some nasty cold if we stay out here."

"All in favor of inside time?" Mabel asked aloud.

"Aye," the other three cried aloud.

"All opposed?" Dipper asked. A loud thunderclap from above had them scurry inside without delay.

Soos was tasked with repairing the window as the twins were told to clean up the mess the fight against the Shapeshifter. Soos, with little help from Wendy who felt bad letting him clean up a mess partially her fault, was able to quickly replace the shattered window and clean up the glass in no time, and the twins had managed to pick up everything salvageable from the shop. By the time the four had concluded their business, Wendy and Soos had to depart for their homes.

"Man, she really took a beating," Dipper told his sister as they trudged up the stairs together, "that one postcard rack was totally wrecked."

"She must be made of iron," Mabel guessed, "or maybe copper! She has red hair; it makes too much sense!"

"Copper is a softer metal," Dipper reminded her sister, who shrugged without concern.

"She's clearly a robot," Mabel said, "a freaky cool robot who can take some super-punishment. She instantly could tell it wasn't you, you know!"

"Really?" Dipper asked, surprised to hear this, "but you were fooled?"

"I- hey," Mabel's already naturally red cheeks grew brighter still," I was worried you hurt yourself- I just-" Dipper snickered at his sister, and she pouted, "not cool, dude."

"Now who needs to take it easy?" Dipper reminded her with a rub of her shoulder, "I'm just poking fun at you."

"You big dumbo," she called him, her tongue slightly poking out of her mouth in indignation.

"Right," Dipper snickered as the entered their room, "oh, this is going to feel great; knowing there isn't something out there trying to get me."

"Us, dude," Mabel reminded him, "it wanted revenge on all of us."

"Fair point," Dipper said, turning away from her as he tossed off his shirt. The two quickly changed, facing away from one another, and within a minute, they slumped into their beds, and sighed simultaneously. "This bed... I've missed you," Dipper said as he sprawled his legs out in a stretch.

"Dipper!" Mabel suddenly shot up, and her brother mimed her.

"What!?"

"We... I think we just broke, like, half your room rules," Mabel looked to the list written by the door.

"Oh... right," Dipper recalled, listing the errors with his fingers, "don't change in the room if it's occupied, don't leave your dirty clothes laying around, leave your shoe-" Dipper groaned, and stood up. With a brisk step, he reached over, grabbed the paper from the wall, crumbled it into a ball, and threw it aside, "there."

"But... you really wanted that list," Mabel told him, feeling like she had pressured him into removing the list altogether, "like a whole whopping lot of want."

"No. You were right," Dipper shrugged, "we're going to be busy the entire time while we're here. We're already zany as it is," Dipper said as he sat down, "so awkwardness is going to happen one way or another. Let's not complicate things when, at the end of the day, we're going to be this tired no matter what."

"...okay," Mabel nodded happily, "hey, I'm also sorry for not... you know, giving you a little breathing room out there."

"I... thanks, Mabel," Dipper grinned. "You know, I was even too tired to realize we changed in the same room, at the same time... that's weird," Dipper said as he fell back into his bed.

"So... we're okay?" Mabel asked carefully.

"Let's get some sleep first, and then we can find out tomorrow," Dipper told her as he winked and turned his lantern off.

"Good deal, sir," Mabel stroked her chin, and did the same for her own lantern.

"Goodnight, Mabel."

"G'night, Dipper-dotty."

* * *

><p>Episode two, done! WOOHOO!<p>

You know, we'll probably never know what shapeshifter tastes like. Or, for that matter, what seasonings go best with it! I mean, it could taste great with soy-sauce! Only the goblins hold that answer.

Anyhow, I hope you all enjoyed this conclusion to Episode two! The next chapter's title is called "Old and New Faces". May or may not be meeting a few friendly teenagers in part one. ;) I know Mabel is excited. Tune in next week!

Now, let's see what's on the stream. Boy, I can't wait for that new Gravity Falls episode! (opens a tab on the browser. The Internet speed is atrocious, and time itself begins to feel the effects of the lag- slowly warping reality until it turns the monitor into a black hole) Wow, this episode is really... interactive- AAAHHH- (EZB is sucked into the newly formed black hole, which then burps loudly, and collapses on itself)


	6. Old And New Faces: Part 1

"Dipper..."

Dipper groaned, and turned in his bed slightly. He heard his name from such a distance, but the comfort of the bed sheets, so warm and inviting, kept him still. It was probably just a dream fading away, or another coming closer.

"Dipper..."

"I'm sleeping," Dipper replied in his groggy state, "what is-"

"BODYSLAM!" Mabel bellowed, and without further warning, Dipper gasped as her entire weight crashed down onto his chest, destroying hopes of an easy awakening.

"Mabel!" Dipper gasped as she leapt off him, cackling happily.

"Get up, slowpoke!" she teased, grabbing morning wash wear as she hopped out of the room, "stuff to do! Mysteries to solve! People have to be scammed and Grunkle Stan is only so young!" Mabel reminded her brother as she disappeared behind the door.

Dipper growled as he caressed his now sore center. The ache he felt was caused more from the shock of a morning ambush than her actually landing on him. He gave the closed door one disapproving look as he shifted himself off the bed, ready to challenge the coming day. The corner of his vision snagged onto the two blue cylinders still sitting on the barely used desk by the wall. They had sat there all of yesterday, and as Dipper approached them, he could only wonder what they were exactly.

"Maybe this calls for a little research," Dipper nodded to himself. He gave it a little toss into the air and caught it again, "we're going to figure you out, whatever you are," Dipper told the cylinder fiercely. He placed it back down, moving to his dresser, but not before stubbing his toe on a leg of the desk.

Many curses and hops on one uninjured foot later, plus half an hour, Dipper and Mabel descended the stairs, finding their Grunkle Stan in the kitchen, pouring himself the cereal they had purchased the day before.

"Morning you two," he said as they moved for their own food needs, "what's the plan today? Search for the meaning of life? Make peace between gnomes and faeries? Poke a yeti in the butt?"

"In the butt," Mabel snickered as she poured herself a glass of orange juice.

"This is the mission," Dipper said readily, placing one of the two cylinders on the table before his great Uncle.

"Oh yeah, that thing," Grunkle Stan leaned in closer to them, adjusting his glasses to get a better look," what does it do again?"

"Look pretty," Mabel informed Grunkle Stan.

"Only so far," Dipper added, and continued, "I've tried going through a list of things it could possibly be-"

"Oi, here we go, another list," Grunkle Stan rolled his eyes and brought over his cereal to the table as he sat down.

"The three top candidates are as follows," Dipper held the object in discussion to the light, "one; a highly sophisticated and advanced battery for something equally super-futuristic, two; a new type of information storage surpassing anything released to the public, and three; a strange module for biological information-"

"Bio-who-ha-whats-it?" Mabel asked, spilling some orange juice on her arm as she too sat down, "you can't escape that easy, orange blood," she murmured as she licked the juice off her skin.

"A capsule for DNA or maybe some sort of crazy disease," Dipper explained, "it seems self-contained, but also has a source of power- it keeps letting off that faint light," he gave it a quick shake, which it left a thin trail of white light, "see?"

"Kid, the last thing I want you to do with that if it has diseases is shake it around like a baby rattle," Grunkle Stan said as he leaned back, "unless you intend to wipe out the earth with whatever god-awful plague rests inside it."

"Eh... right," Dipper realized the point and quickly laid it to rest on the table before him, the color of the strange object catching and holding onto his visions focus. He stared at it, curious as to which, if any, theory of his held to the truth. After all, they served no directly notable purpose yet.

"What's the plan then?" Mabel asked as she sat down between the two, "should we find the closest government facility, break in and steal all their secrets?"

"That almost sounds dangerous," Grunkle Stan said calmly as he ate his cereal.

"Not yet. Even if there isn't anything official stated about this thing," Dipper rolled it around on the table, "we could probably find some sort of hint towards where it came from. If there was a source of internet up here," Dipper gave his Grunkle a dissatisfied look," wouldn't be such a problem."

"What? That costs money," Grunkle Stan held a spoon at Dipper with warning, "and something as needlessly complicated as the Internet won't help my life improve in quality."

"And you want to charge people for staying here," Dipper retorted as he stood and walked to the fridge.

"Hey! People don't come to Gravity Falls for a source of anti-social behavior. They come here, and specifically to this building, to get a look at freaky stuffed animals they think I caught out in those woods. Who needs internet?" Grunkle Stan defended his position well, and Dipper just shrugged. "I got all the weird they could want, here- in person! Right where it belongs."

"Here, here!" Mabel cheered, and aggressively downed her orange juice with a single gulp.

"You know, kiddo," Stan turned on his grand-niece, "you had me quite impressed yesterday. Just what was with all that high-kicking and punching crud, exactly?"

"It's called," Mabel pulled her Uncle and herself close, and arced her hand before them, "'The Paths'."

"The... Paths," Grunkle Stan repeated.

"A new form of martial art that was recently developed," Dipper answered as Mabel held on to her Grunkle, "she apparently has a personal teacher."

"Wow, Private lessons in beating people up!?" Grunkle Stan asked to Mabel, "you're walking down the right path, kid!"

"The Mabel agrees," the teenager stated, standing up from her seat, and strutting out of the kitchen.

"Put your glass in the sink," Dipper called to her as she vanished. Mabel made her same exit-strut back into the room, robotically cleaning her glass quickly, before walking out the same way, only backwards.

"I sometimes worry these things get to your heads," Grunkle Stan told Dipper, who was just finishing his glass of milk. "You know, maybe you should look into that sort of thing too, kid," Stan told Dipper as he began to leave the room.

"What? Stuff getting to my head?" Dipper asked and turned to face him

"Lessons on beating people up!" Stan said excitedly, "you know, your Grunkle Stan knows a thing or two about it."

"Uh, no offense, Grunkle Stan," Dipper held a hand up," I'm not all that into the idea."

"What?! You're actually going to let your sister beat you out on the 'being more a man than you' contest?" Stan asked with disbelief. Dipper scowled.

"Beating people up isn't a sign of manliness," Dipper told his Grunkle, "it just means you failed at coming to a compromise or agreement."

"Ugh," Stan shivered in disapproval, "You reek of wimpy. Here," he reached into the maintenance closet, and pulled out a paint bucket and a pair of brushes, "before you go solving the mysteries that no one cares about, freshen up the paint on the front walls."

"Oh, what-"

"No buts! Get on it!" Grunkle pointed to the door. Dipper turned heatedly and marched ahead, holding the paint and brushes tightly. He walked into the room, where Mabel was busy trying to re-arrange letters on post cards to create positive and overly-happy sentences.

"Grab it," Dipper dropped a paint brush by her feet, "we got painting to do."

"Wax on, wax off," Mabel muttered as she grasped the paint brush and followed her brother out the door.

The two started their painting of the front walls. The wood was rough and worn, making clean strokes hard and not getting pain on them harder. While this supposedly meaningless task angered Dipper, Mabel found immense fun in painting. Her strategy was much different than Dipper, who would try to paint along the length of the boards of wood. She instead made intricate stories involving people and crazed fairy tales, and would merely paint over them when that part of the story concluded.

"-and then when the great pink dragon, Gloomby, appeared," Mabel painted a large dragon with a large round belly and goofy eyes, "he promised to take princess Aura and prince Crystalline to the highest mountain tops," she painted a large and curved mountain, "where they could finally break the dreaded werewolf's curse by kissing under the light of the moon, under an aurora!"

"I hope so badly this is you, just making this up, and not an actual show plot," Dipper said to himself as she continued.

"But-" Mabel painted over the rest of what she had just completed, "they arrive too late, and princess Aura turns into the dreaded Werewolf of Scary-Forest-Land-ia!" she painted a forest with a frowny face, and a truly detailed and scary werewolf woman, "and it's up to prince crystalline to defeat his one true love in a bid of survival! Oh, the humanity!" Mabel made to faint, and tossed her brush aside. Dipper saw her falling from the corner of his eye, and grabbed her quickly. "Safe! Ten out of ten, bro."

"Okay," Dipper let himself laugh for a moment, "c'mon, let's wrap this up before Grunkle Stan decides he has other things for us to slave over."

"I will find the fun in it, even if it destroys me," Mabel declared with her entire being. Dipper pushed his sister back up just as sounds of an approaching truck had the two turn. Soos in his simple pickup truck came up the driveway. "Hi Soos!"

"Heya you two," Soos pointed to the two of them as he stepped out," painting today? You know what they say about painting," Soos joked.

"What?" Mabel begged for the answer, excitement shooting from her eyes.

"That... uh... once the can... is... canned," Soos struggled to come up with a clever catchphrase, "you... gotta... once- gosh, uh, once the can is open, you gotta make a... jokin'."

"Poetry," Mabel gasped in awe.

"The struggle for art is ever present in our lives. Wow, speaking of art," Soos spotted the still intact painting Mabel had done," a wonderful interpretation of 'The Magical Sparkling Adventures of Aura Dearest'."

"Oh god, it really is a show," Dipper groaned.

"Web-comic," Soos corrected him.

"Well, I've heard of crazier shows than that, I guess," Dipper sighed as the three of them admired Mabel's handiwork, "dude, sis, we should totally leave it up and see how long it takes for Stan to notice it."

"TOTES HAPPENING!" Mabel cheered as she fist-pumped into the air. "Wanna place a bet on how long it takes?"

"Three days," Dipper guessed.

"I will estimate... thirteen days," Soos announced.

"Oddly specific!" Mabel told him happily.

"Thirteen carries significance after all," Soos reminded them, "it is both a numerical blessing, and a cursed number."

"Well, I'm done with giving the wall a new look," Dipper said, tossing the brush aside lazily, "we've got a mystery to crack."

"Gonna crack down on this mystery!" Mabel agreed.

"We take the car this time," Dipper turned to his sister, and she quickly pouted, her hopes of scaring the daylights out of her brother dashed. The twins, after grabbing one of the mysterious cylinders, left for the town. Mabel was insistent on something playing on the radio, yet found little to their interest. "I could have sworn there was a good station on two days ago. Playing techno-stuff is at least different than the usual country music," Dipper said gloomily as they drove into town.

"Here we go," Dipper said as he parked across the street from the library, "it's kind of weird knowing that there's a secret passageway leading to the mines underneath town."

"Just think Dipper," Mabel said as they j-walked, "if there was a serious earthquake, this entire town could vanished into a series of holes in the ground! Like if mole-men were invading!" she said with dread.

"Not exactly comforting," Dipper told his sister as they entered the building.

"Oh, good," the Librarian with large glasses, Miss Isoar, spoke as they entered, "I was worried I had locked you two in here overnight a few days ago. I'm very pleased you two didn't perish."

"Thanks, Miss Isoar," Dipper nodded to her stiffly as they walked past, and turned to his sister, "most unfortunate last name ever."

"At least it isn't stupid, like... booger," Mabel guessed, "so, where do we start?"

"I don't know," Dipper sighed as he peered around. "Why don't you bring over books about advanced bio-engineering and robotics, and I'll go through some basic practical uses of quantum-"

"English! Dipper, I speak English!" Mabel reminded her brother.

"Just bring every recently published book that looks sciency, okay?" Dipper told her sister.

"Yessir!" she saluted, and trotted off.

The two claimed an entire table to pour over books. Dipper had made quite a collection, worthy of any scholar in the advances in science, ranging almost every possible topic he thought the strange objects could be included in. Many of the texts, to his anger, were far too unspecific for his desires, and dealt with hypothetical developments and nothing pointed to what they may have. The few times he felt his stomach tighten at the mention of a development in technology that could lead to a possible discovery, he ended up finding a dead end. He rubbed his eyes after scanning through his third scientific journal, and looked at Mabel.

She seemed to be pleasantly enjoying herself, staring into a book that was propped up to prevent Dipper's eyes from seeing the contents. The cover of the book said 'Advances In Artificial Intelligence and Their Merits', but Dipper stared at his sister as her eyes remained nearly in the same spot for several seconds. Her mouth curled in a tiny smile and her eyes twinkled. Dipper even spotted a single, brightly colored page poking out from the book, different in its light-sheen from the other pages.

"Which magazine are you looking at?" he asked suddenly.

"Nothing!" she slammed the book closed after a moment, smiling a little too toothily to be innocent.

"It's poking out of the book, you know," Dipper pointed out at the large book. Mabel followed the accusation, and indeed the top section of a magazine was emerging.

"Whoosh," Mabel shoved the book off the table and dusted her hands off, "I guess that one wasn't working out."

"... How many pages did you actually get into that?" Dipper asked, not attempting to hide his disappointment.

"Seven," Mabel admitted with a crestfallen look to her brother, and Dipper rolled his eyes, "oh dude, come on! I can't handle nerdy books like this! They're all about math and studies and stuff. There isn't anything fun in these!"

"It's research, Mabel," Dipper told his sister. "It usually is kinda slow."

"Research isn't always boring and slow! It's just about the topic, and this topic is putting my eyes into a trance of sleepy time," Mabel rested her head moodily on the table, "and there are too many words with eight or more letters in them. My eyes! Dey cannot take eet!" Mabel dropped her face directly against the table with a 'plumph'.

"So you're just going to let me go through all of this?" Dipper asked grumpily. Mabel's response was to take the first book her hands could find as they scraped across the table, open it, and place it on top her head. "Learning by Osmosis?" Dipper asked, a corner of his mouth turned up in humor.

"I will endure," Mabel mumbled gloomily at the table.

"I don't think that expression is even correctly grasping what osmosis is-" Dipper thought aloud, but was startled when Mabel's head shot up like a rocket, her book flying off to the side. "WOAH! Mabel, what is it? It... it didn't actually work, did it?" Dipper asked in astonishment.

"Shh," she smushed her palm against his mouth, and they both listened. It took a moment for Dipper to decide what she was focusing on, but he followed her line of vision to the entrance of the building. Outside, a conversation was passing by. Mabel's focus hardened and sharpened as the distant sounds of a talk between two girls grew slightly closer. Her eyes narrowed as she peered at the door, almost positive she knew the source behind the talk. As she waited, two girls passed by the Library door, one a skinny girl with thick glasses, the other a tall and heavy set girl with a broad body.

"Hey, wasn't that-" Dipper mumbled.

Dipper learned the hard way that Mabel's ability to propel herself at inhuman speeds had not been haltered in their time living separately. He was nearly tossed out of his chair, and the table almost catapulted out of the way as Mabel blazed through the library, desperate to exit and reach the two girls talking to one another as they passed by. Mabel blasted out of the door with near-sonic speeds, screeching to a halt as she breathed heavily.

The two ahead of her had turned at the smell of scorched sidewalk. Mabel panted loudly as she turned her vision upwards. To her grand excitement, it hadn't been a moment of wishful thinking that brought her outside. She knew the two passing teens.

"Mabel?" two teenagers asked as they stared with eyes as wide as hers.

"GUYS!" Mabel screeched and charged her long lost friends, Grenda and Candy Chiu. The huge hug that followed between the three of them could have sent shockwaves into the surrounding forests of lasting plutonic love.

"Mabel, it is so good to see you again!" Candy stated happily as they broke from their hug, Mabel nearly jogging in place as they looked at her. Candy was shorter than Mabel and wore very thick glasses. Her pale skin contrasted with her jet black hair, giving her a ghostly look.

"Yeah! You should have come up to visit sooner!" Grenda told Mabel excitedly. She was a towering teenager with auburn hair. Grenda was built both in body size and in muscle, she was easily the biggest girl Mabel had ever hugged.

"Woah! Grenda, what happened to your voice?!" Mabel asked as she heard her friend speak again, for the first time in three years.

"I got a speech coach at school!" Grenda announced proudly. Indeed, her voice had improved considerably. While she had not lost the deep nature of her voice, strong and resonant, it was certainly no longer gruff. She sounded strangely womanly; smoother and more level than it had been before. "It brought me to tears for ever!"

"Mabel, we weren't told you were coming back to town," Candy told Mabel with a grin, "what's with the visit?"

"Oh, well," Mabel started casually, "my brother and I thought Grunkle Stan died, but he was just capture and held ransom for his Mystery Shack, and instead of going home we had to face a horrible shape shifting monster who got taken away by an army of Goblins, who probably ate him. You know, the usual stuff."

"That does seem like a sensible reason to visit," Candy said with a pleased smile.

"Hey, Mabel," Dipper's voice called back from inside the Library, catching the three's attention," oh, hi guys! Long time no see."

"Hi Dipper!"

"Hey Dipper!" the two waved to him cheerily.

"Mabel, you know I don't want to be that jerk, but we were looking up stuff that object could be, you know, related to?" he asked her patiently. Mabel glared at him with her hands at her hips. "I... fine," he scowled, nearly hitting someone entering the shop, "sorry," he mumbled as he walked inside.

"Wow, Mabel," Grenda said loudly, "I thought you grew up to be pretty. Dipper has hair growing- On his face!"

"That is an accomplishment for your brother, no doubt," Candy added with a polite nod.

"Psh, he's starting to," Mabel shrugged off the compliments, "but you two! You both look fantabulous!"

"We should organize a party! Grenda leaned in.

"Maybe, for old time sakes, we could rent some crazy rom-coms and a whole metric ton of Pitt?" Mabel suggested eagerly. The three giggled and began exchanging ideas for the evening, excited to set up plans for the future.

Dipper grumbled as he returned to his seat. Being dumped for Mabel's long-since friends was harsh, but he supposed that Mabel, despite her good intentions, wouldn't be much as help as he hoped she would. So, sitting back down, he opened another book, and began pouring into it.

What felt like hours passed to little avail. Again and again he scanned through text and passages for mention of anything relatable to what they had, and found nothing. The 'already looked through' pile grew and stacked up, and he was running out of things the library had at all to offer. Not to top it off, by the time he was at his second to last book, Mabel finally returned, happy as the day she discovered sugar.

"About time," Dipper mumbled as he looked into his book, "here's the last one we need to go through. Just do me a favor and scan it for anything we might need to know, okay?" he asked of her harshly as he lightly shoved over the last text to her. In his haste to assign her work, he missed the look on her face. She had gone from happy to an all too evident strain of guilt. Her brother, after a moment of peering into the book, and realizing she had made no movements, looked to her. Their eyes met, and one of those crazy twin communication moments happened. He knew she had done _it_. "Oh... oh no, you didn't."

"I may have."

"No, tell me you didn't," Dipper begged.

"I more than probably did."

"Mabel... why? Wy!?" he demanded with horror dripping in his voice.

"Because," Mabel adopted a lecturing tone, "When a group of teenagers catch up, the most sensible thing for them to do, is to all get together and have one EPIC SLEEPOVER!" Mabel burst up, dancing on her chair excitedly. Dipper's face fell to the table with a loud bang. "Oh, come on," Mabel scoffed at him, "I'm sure you can get your kicks from the kind of parties we hold! We're a bit more mature than when we were twelve."

"I recall letting my heel be a chew toy for a night to avoid those parties," Dipper darkly informed her, still face first into the table.

"Oh, brighten up!" Mabel smiled fully at him, "at least it's-" her sentence fell away, looking past her brother. He looked up from his slouch, giving her a curious look.

"What?" he asked, starting to follow her stare. Behind them, by a darker corner in the library where cobwebs and dust seemed rampant, a person in a large, hooded jacket hastily pushed book after book from the shelf into a hidden bag.

"It doesn't matter where you are," Mabel stated aloud, "anyone in a hoodie stuffing things away looks suspicious as heck."

"Agreed. Pause from the research," Dipper and Mabel stood from their seats and began approaching the mysterious and suspicious figure.

"Hey!" Mabel called to the man, "what's with all the book-shoving and stuff?"

The figure froze, and jerked it's head towards them. They saw a pale face with equally pale blue eyes as he watched them approach. A strand of blond hair fell past his face, a frantic look about him as the twins glared at him.

"Uh-uh-uh," the person stuttered, accidentally dropping one of his books. As soon as the book fell to the ground, he suddenly turned, and ran down one of the aisles.

"Get that stutterer!" Mabel bellowed as she and her brother split. Dipper turned to the left, hoping to cut off the fleeing figure while Mabel ran right after them. The person was quick, running not only out of the aisle, but into another, forcing Dipper to re-think his plan.

"No running in the Library!" Miss Isoar scolded them as they darted around the interior.

Again and again this person flew from one aisle to another, randomly choosing new places to vanish behind. Dipper was growing tired and frustrated. Each time he thought he had the person cornered, the person changed directions. He couldn't cut him off, no matter how hard he tried. Mabel, however, was hot on the figure's trail.

"Almost got him!" Mabel cried as she chased him.

In a daring act, the figure leapt onto one of the large bookshelves. It teetered for a moment, and then the person leapt again, higher onto another shelf. Mabel attempted following suit, but the shelves grew more and more unstable. As she made to lunge at him one last time, the shelf beneath her gave away, and she fell to the floor as an entire row of books collapsed onto her.

"My books!" Miss Isoar yelped in fear as her collections came crumbling down.

"Mabel!" Dipper shouted, but Mabel was already pulling herself out of the wreckage.

"After him, man!" she pointed, and Dipper spotted the wanted man bolting for the door. Dipper nodded and charged, putting as much forward momentum he could into his bull-rushing. With a roar that would make any manly creature proud, he charged into the hooded figure just outside the shop, causing the person to spiral aside, spilling all the contents of the hidden bag out. The hood fell off, and Dipper finally saw the person- a young man, probably eighteen or so, acne here or there with dark bags under his eyes and bright blond hair. He looked like a gangly mess. Dipper started to get up from his charge when the man scrambled to grab as many books as he could, and then ran off.

"You forgot some, you creep!" Dipper shouted, unable to follow, realizing he had landed on one of his knees, busting it up mildly. A chase was out of the question now, but he watched where the man ran to until he made a turn by the alley that was between the biker bar and a small office building. "Agh... ow," he looked down to his scraped up knee, and winced as he stretched it to assess damages.

"Dipper?" Mabel asked as she stepped out, and then spotted her wounded brother, "ohmigosh! Dipper!"

"It's just- ow," Dipper hissed as he tried shaking to imply the lack of injury, as his eyes slightly watered, "okay, its- uh... doesn't hurt."

"How bad is it?" she asked, leaning down to inspect it, "you're probably going to need disinfectant, you goober."

"Goober, am I?" Dipper grinned triumphantly, and waved a hand to the other half of the dropped books their target had left behind, "look what he left behind for us."

"Ah yes! We've- wait... Ew. No more reading," Mabel requested strongly.

"Let's see what- ow!" Dipper clutched at his knee, "ah... okay... Mabel, can you just pick them up for me? Toss them into the car, would ya?" Dipper asked his sister.

"Wait!" Mabel said aloud, catching her brother by surprise, "we... should probably check these all out."

Miss Isoar was much less pleasant towards the Pines twins when they re-entered the Library. Aside from nearly destroying her entire library, they had blatantly disregarded almost every rule a standard library had, let alone her personal rules. While Mabel attempted to apologize multiple times, insisting that someone was trying to steal the books, Miss Isoar would coldly ask, "Would that be all!?" each time she finished a book.

The two left the Library as fast as Dipper could limp. Something they had discovered, from the pile they collected from the mysterious thief was that one of the books was not from the library- a slightly worn leather journal with entries spanning months. Mabel was very curious to spy into the life of someone like that, but Dipper reminded her of the seriousness of the possible situation as they drove back to the Mystery Shack, soon to be Manor.

"Ah, the trouble twins return," Grunkle Stan called to them from outside, oblivious to the shack's painted picture of a werewolf behind, "yeesh, what happened to you two?" Grunkle Stan noted the roughed up nature of the twins, as Mabel was covered in bruises from falling books and Dipper limped with his scraped knee while carrying a bag of books.

"The Library is a war-zone only the brave should venture," Mabel explained darkly.

"Huh. My limited interest does call for me to ask question, but that could lead to responsible actions, so forget that. Get inside and get yourselves cleaned up. And no blood on the carpets!" Grunkle Stan warned Dipper, who scowled at him.

"A true humanitarian," Dipper grumbled as he limped into the house.

"Whoa, dude," Wendy had since arrived from their departure, and spotted them walking in by her usual spot, "don't tell me I missed some crazy adventure," she said as they walked inside, Stan closing the door behind them.

"Library isn't what it used to be," Dipper groaned as he walked past.

"Books did that to you?" Wendy snickered, "guys, you just read with them."

"That's boring!" Mabel argued," it's more fun to make giant fortresses out of them, and wage bloody war against the fortresses! BWAAH!" Mabel ran ahead, yelling bloody murder as she knocked her brother aside.

"I heard a triumphant charge," Soos poked his head in through the doorway.

"Just our glorious return, Soos," Mabel patted his arm, "next time we'll include you in on the mystery chase."

"For-sooth, I am yet to be forgotten," Soos said dramatically as he held the back of his against his face, and left the room.

"Hey, Dipper," Wendy called as the twins made for the kitchens, "catch," she tossed him a small medicinal tube from under the counter, "works better on open cuts and stuff than the standard crud. Be a man, it's going to suck putting on."

"Thanks," he nodded thankfully, and they entered the kitchen with Grunkle Stan, who pulled out a small roll of gauze, and place it on the counter.

"So, any luck with the glowing tube found at my fake-wake?" Grunkle Stan said as he sat down, watching them apply their needed medicines.

"Not a thing," Dipper said as he applied the thick grey paste to his leg. "Ow! She wasn't kidding!" he gasped as pain rocketed through his body, a terrible stinging pulsing at his knee where the scrape met with the paste.

"But we attacked a creepy man in the library," Mabel said as she withdrew an ice cube from the freezer and began to glide it along the bruises on her arm.

"A creepy looking guy?" Stan repeated, "was McGucket trying to eat magazines again?"

"No, we never saw this guy before. Had pale skin and bright hair... kind of looked nervous?" Dipper tried explaining the person's appearance, "wore a hooded jacket.

"Sounds like any other grungy teen that walks around at night," Grunkle Stan told him.

"We caught him trying to steal away some of these," Dipper reached behind him and lifted the bag he had placed down, spilling the contents of the table. Stan leaned forward, adjusting his glasses to better read the books.

"Huh, okay, let's see here... Arcane Archaics, Jaded Eyes Towards the Skies, whoa, wait a second," Grunkle Stan stood, going through books faster and faster, a frantic energy building behind his eyes.

"Whab is ib?" Mabel asked with a full mouth, having given up on dabbing her book-caused injuries and instead started chewing on her ice-cube.

"Grunkle Stan, do you know these books?" Dipper asked as Grunkle Stan scanned the covers of the nine checked out books that they had rented from the library.

"Kids, this is bad news if someone is trying to steal away these kinds of books," Grunkle Stan placed the one he had just been looking at down, and gave them a warning stare, "these here books are tied very closely to the kinds of rituals that brought monsters like Bill Cipher to this town."

"What?!" Dipper and Mabel both exclaimed.

"Not joking with you," Grunkle Stan flipped open one of the books, and displayed its contents; a detailed blue-print for a type of ritual involving plants, animals, and many bowls of scribbled down liquids. "These are some old copies of seriously dangerous magical stuff. Spells and enchantments, summoning rituals, binding chants; the whole nine yards of bad magic-mojo-news."

"And this is only half of what he was trying to get away with," Dipper mentioned aloud. Grunkle Stan seemed more worried at this news, and put down the book.

"I'm going to put this to you straight," Grunkle Stan sat down, looking intently into the eyes of his kin, "don't try using these books for anything but research. The kinds of stuff in these books are as dangerous as they come- curses that can change the course of a family's history level of bad! If someone is going around swiping these kinds of texts away, who knows what they're trying to accomplish. So... be careful. You probably just stumbled into a big, nasty can of worms someone else is holding above all our heads."

"And they could pour at any second," Mabel grimly added.

"Who knows?" Grunkle Stan mentioned.

"Well, as long as I can throw in the first punch, they wont have a chance to cast any spell my way!" Mabel grinned cockily, "cus when the Mabel gets the fire going, the fire spreads!"

"That just makes it sound like you're flammable," Dipper said.

"Pwah! Don't hate on the Mabes," Mabel pointed an accusatory finger at her brother. "Besides, its not like you're going to be the one who can out-fight whoever is looking up these things."

"What? I can hold my ground if I need to," Dipper debated, wincing as he dabbed some more cream onto his knee.

"Uh huh," Grunkle Stan gave him a disbelieving look, "like that one time you never fought anyone successfully in your life."

"Hey! I fought-" Dipper started to mention Rumble McSkirmish, only to recall he sorely lost the fight despite sending him back to the video game reality, "I messed up Gideon, didn't I?"

"Oh, look out," Grunkle Stan nudged Mabel in the shoulder, "Dipper over here beat up a shrimpy, loud mouthed, porter belly boy! Looks like he's moving up the ranks!"

"I bow," Mabel began to snicker with Stan, "to your awesome might, oh terrifying one!"

"Hey, I could totally learn anything as well as you can if I put my mind to it!" Dipper defended himself heatedly as the two laughed at him. "I bet that whole martial arts thing isn't that hard."

"Maybe not for me," Mabel bit her lip in stifling her laughter as she stepped towards him, "but you'd probably just end up over-thinking things, like usual. Boop-" out of seemingly no where, she placed a sticker on his forehead, which read 'Authentic Strong-ham' with a picture of a pink pig with large muscular arms lifting old-time dumbbells.

"Whatever," Dipper turned back to the table, and scooped up the books into the bag they came in, "I'll be looking through these, in case someone actually needs something important."

Mabel and Stan shared an amused glance and began laughing again as Dipper departed from the kitchen, slightly scowling. Mabel hopped out of the room with her brother, skipping past him up the stairs. As she entered the room and made for her clothing selection, Dipper looked in, uncertain of her purpose in their room.

"So, what are you going to be doing while I look these through? Nothing too loud, right?" Dipper asked deliberately.

"Define loud," she asked, pulled out a series of workout clothing.

"Like you're going to stomp around the room, loud?" Dipper asked as she took her clothing and departed. As he situated himself on his bed, he slid the books out and around him. Many of them were indeed older, some appearing to even have dates from prior to the twentieth century. Mabel came back into the room, wearing a martial arts robe of white with grey lining, a single brown belt tied around her waist, "wow. Okay, I gotta admit, kinda of cool."

"I know, right!?" Mabel twirled, allowing the ends of her robe to swing out as he spun, "this is mid-rank, brown belt, in the Paths," she explained, pointing to the color.

"So, the last is black? With different degrees in mastery?" Dipper tried guessing as she removed her shoes.

"Nope! In the paths, there is no such thing as master level," Mabel explained as she sat herself down in a butterfly stretch.

"Really? I... I don't know how to feel about that," Dipper answered honestly, watching her go through several quick stretches. "What do you do to distinguish from student and teachers?"

"Oh, well, they're called the Focus-Level. When you get past mid-rank, brown," Mabel said, jumping up and jogging in place, "you and your teacher decide an appropriate elemental that works with you. That element tells you your further training."

"Wait... so not everyone knows the same moves?" Dipper said, hoping as she bounded in the air that she would be less noisy when he decided to sit down and go through the books, "how does that work?"

"Well, there are basic move sets, but The Paths isn't about knowing moves entirely, it's about energy! And cool stuff! Like," she tried explaining, stopping for a moment from her warm up, "some people are more likely letting others tire themselves out in a fight while using little of their own energy, while someone else is more likely to be aggressive and forward to take them down quicker. Those two people shouldn't have to know how to fight the same, because they can use their different thoughts to different skills."

"Okay... that's not too bad, I guess," Dipper nodded in understanding, "so, do you have any idea what you're... uh, 'element' is? I'm going to guess... fire."

"Yup! At least, its a tie between fire and air," Mabel nodded proudly, and adopted a dramatic stance as she stared into the distance, "for the great flame of passion flows through my body, yet I am not tied to the earth: I will soar through the air, like a... goose!"

"Geese are evil. Be a hawk or something cooler," Dipper told her as he lifted a book to himself.

"I can be a goose if I wanna!" she stuck out a tongue at him, and began her practice.

The two remained in their room for quite some time. To Mabel, is was great work. She easily glided through the techniques she had trained for over a year with, each one seamlessly becoming the next one to practice. She would mouth the words of her teacher as she practiced, occasionally throwing in a Mabel trademark sound effect as she completed a more impressive technique.

Dipper was less enthused about her practice. While she was mostly quiet, the few times she let herself become airborne distracted Dipper greatly. He would peek up from the book he was looking into to watch her, wondering mostly if he couldn't do that himself, and then occasionally was just down-right impressed with her skill. It wasn't like him to quickly be pulled away from his studies so easily. He could only wonder that should their parents have remained together, would he had the same kind of training.

Eventually Dipper was spared the continual distractions. With a sigh and bow to someone invisible before her, Mabel bounded to her shoes, placed them on, and let her brother know she was going to be jogging outside. Dipper wished her well, and finally began to really dig into the text.

Grunkle Stan hadn't been wrong. Many of the passages were totally reference and historical context, but the sheer amount of dark work in the books astounded Dipper. He began to mentally tally the amount of times a book called for a sacrifice in recorded magical spells.

Grim book after dark text were looked through, and Dipper had began to take notes; not on the spells suggested inside, but the connections between them all. As of the fifth book, so far he had discovered a link between demon-rituals, summoning the dead, levitation, a particularly detailed collection on how to bind souls to people, and a whole mess of potion and alchemy collections.

Then the second to last book fell open. Dipper's eyes widened. The was the oldest book of the nine rented was literally a spell manual. It boggled Dipper's mind as he looked through them, the spells ranging from detecting a person's presence to shooting fire from your hands. Many had incantations and mystical regents to use for these spells, while others were 'focused rituals'; mental projections of thoughts to create magic. Dipper realized that this was more than likely the most important of the nine abandoned books the jittery man had forgotten.

One of the spells within the text caught his eye- mimicry. Dipper's curiosity had himself scan the notes and realized it was less of mimicry and more of a copy and paste for talent and skill. His mind reeled at the possibility for someone to use this spell over and over, and the egotistic fantasy scenarios started popping in his head- from being the greatest martial artists in the world to being the greatest mathematician that ever lived. Yet his Grunkle's warning flashed in his mind, and giving the requirements for the spell a look over, he sighed. He would not be willingly drinking fresh, sacrificed blood any time in his life.

By the time he had turned to the tenth book, the journal, Mabel had returned, sweating and panting excitedly. She made happy talk with her brother, yet he did little to reply, having tasked himself with reading into the journal. By the time Mabel had run into the shower and cleaned off, he was feverishly writing down important notes.

"I thought Grunkle Stan said we shouldn't try those spells and stuff," Mabel asked as she stepped back in, drying her hair with a towel.

"This isn't spells. This is that creep's journal. He mentions finding a shelter that is separate from the rest of the town with it's entrance 'wonderfully disguised' from any buildings. This journal, so far, mostly is about tasks this guy has gotten from a 'master' who he doesn't call by name," Dipper concluded disappointedly, and added in sarcasm, "because that would be too easy for me to just find the bad-guys real name, right here in his own journal."

"Well, in The Paths, you aren't supposed to talk about your master using their name. That way their secret identity can remain unheard," Mabel said excitedly, "and people don't go around looking to prove themselves in a fight."

"You can't even describe what they look like?" Dipper asked, flipping several more pages, each with brief snippets about this persons master, "this dude doesn't even want to talk about the guys favorite color or whatever."

"Of course we can talk about what they look like," Mabel answered happily, "my master is a beautiful woman with long bright brown hair and large blue eyes who's gaze is akin to a moonlit walk along a gentle pond," she ended very artistically, a grace in her voice.

"Right... so she looks sort of like you?" Dipper asked, and Mabel shrugged.

"I guess so, bro-deh-bro."

"Well, I'm sure that's cool and all-" Dipper yawned, stretching out his arms, "feels like I've been here for hours."

"You have," Mabel told him as she plopped down on her bed, "it's almost seven."

"WHAT!?" Dipper gasped, peering out the window he had neglected the entire afternoon, "how long did you jog for?!"

"I dunno. I just ran around the shack a few times. I lost count after fifty or so," Mabel wondered mentally if she had truthfully done the amount of running she had been supposed to complete or more.

"Then that means-" Dipper started, but cut himself off. The sound of a car coming to a halt outside the house caught his attention. Dipper quickly stepped to the window and looked below to his horror; two teenage girls had stepped out of a parked van, large duffle bags at their sides.

"It begins!" Mabel yelled excitedly as she hopped up and down, and charged down the stairs to greet her friends.

"It... begins," Dipper whispered, mental battle-stations going off in his head.

An hour later, Dipper had realized he had made a grave error. He had decided to take his studying of the books more seriously, and presented himself to the desk and taken upon himself to do very detailed notes, trying to pinpoint the location of the pale-man's hideaway. He had hoped that with his immense focus on such an important topic, the three girls behind him wouldn't cause too much distraction.

He was entirely wrong.

"I mean, who goes around stealing books, anyway?" Mabel asked to her two friends as they sat on the floor, magazines and food items strew around them.

"Maybe he wanted to do a crazy collage of magical books," Grenda suggested, "and was going to rip out the pages. You can't return destroyed books, can you?"

"Not without fines," Candy answered, her voice as diminutive as ever, "at least you two got that journal of his."

"Speaking of journals," Grenda bounced off the mentioned subject, "would you believe whose journal got left around at school?"

"Oh, I heard about that!" Candy excitedly replied.

"Lemme in on this dirt! Whose was it?" Mabel asked, leaning closer.

"Pacifica Northwest!" Candy announced and Grenda bawled with laughter. Mabel gasped and grinned devilishly.

"Shut up! Really?" Mabel gasped.

"Her face looked like a tomato for two straight weeks after that!" Grenda told Mabel, "it didn't stop glowing red until she found who had taken her journal and started texting notes from it to everyone."

"I think whoever found it vanished after that," Candy puzzled in thought.

"Wow, I can't believe I missed something like that," Mabel admitted, shaking her head, "so what has Miss all-the-money-in-the-world been up to?" Mabel asked.

"Being a jerk-wad, like usual," Grenda told her bluntly.

"She's the head in almost all the clubs at school, so it's hard for anyone who she doesn't really like to become part of a club," Candy stated sadly, "the only club I've been able to get into is the 'Practical Engineering Club', and that's because I'm a founding member."

"Woah, that sounds kind of cool," Dipper turned briefly from his notes, nodding in approval to the mention of the club.

"Thank you, Dipper," Candy smiled back.

"How many are in it?" Dipper asked.

"Three," Candy admitted, slightly deterred.

"Oh," Dipper nodded, and turned back to his notes.

"But she's not _that_ smart!" Mabel pointed out, "how is she getting to be the head of these clubs?"

"She gives generous donations to the clubs funds," Candy explained sadly, "and she gets the title of sponsor and adviser. She's in fifteen clubs total, I think."

"I almost got kicked off the weight-lifting club because of her!" Grenda growled, "that little troll."

"And here I thought I had made some headway with her," Mabel sighed, thinking back to her previous summer in Gravity Falls.

Pacifica Northwest had been her one true nemesis. Gideon Gleeful, a note-worthy jerk if there ever was, fell into the category of hated enemy more than nemesis. Pacifica was a girl of extremely wealthy background and had loved to flaunt it around like no one knew. Her family owned dozens of businesses and she loved to act like her first name was on a great many of those organizations. Her sense of ego and Mabel's love of good sportsmanship clashed instantly upon meeting one another. Yet, at the end of the Summer, Mabel could have sworn she had made an improvement to Pacifica's views of being a decent human being. Maybe she had been wrong.

"I don't know about her, but I do know about "Brunch Meeting"!" Grenda announced, pulling out a DVD copy of a movie made in the eighties about teen angst and social stereotypes. Mabel and Candy both shouted in approval. Dipper, over by his corner, had enough.

"Well, I'll just leave you three to, uh, whatever it is you plan on doing for the rest of the night," Dipper said as he began to stuff his study-materials into a backpack and grabbed his jacket.

"Where're you going off to?" Mabel asked his brother with a studious eye.

"Downstairs. Or the car. Somewhere quieter, I guess," Dipper shrugged as he slipped his shoes on and left the room.

"He gotten much taller," Candy noted after he left, "so did you," she added to Mabel, who stuck out her tongue.

"Oh stop it, you!"

"So what's been happening with you?" Grenda asked Mabel as Candy pulled out a laptop from her duffle bag. "Anything cool? I saw that robe on the bed- are you doing karate?"

"Oh, no, guys, it's so cool!" Mabel gladly accepted the possibility of explaining her studies again. Twenty minutes into the movie playing into the background, Mabel had wrapped up talking about her studies at school, her many attempts at romance, and her great passion for martial arts she had taken up. Her long lost friends were certainly impressed with the amount of time she had put into it.

"You need to show us sometime," Candy told her excitedly.

"Naah, the Mabel shouldn't be bragging any more than that," Mabel told them with a wave of her hand.

"So, how good is your brother at it?" Grenda asked. Mabel blinked, not having expected the question.

"Uh... he doesn't study the paths," Mabel answered with a moment of thought.

"What? You only study martial arts?" Grenda repeated. "He doesn't? Isn't that, like, a required man-thing to do?"

"Yeah, I mean, he didn't even know about it until we came up here?" Mabel told them, expecting that to answer their questions. Grenda and Candy turned to one another, confusion clearly etched into their looks. "Oh, right. You two aren't in the loop," Mabel nodded and remembered the fact that she and her brother weren't technically living with one another any more, "my, er, parents split up three years ago."

"Oh," Candy leaned up fully.

"No way," Grenda said sadly.

"Yeah. Apparently them sending us up here for the summer may or may not have been because they weren't getting along with one another, and needed some time to figure things out," Mabel nodded solemnly, "they were still kinda angry with one another when me and Dipper came back."

"Wait, does that mean-" Grenda started.

"-That you and Dipper were-" Candy continued.

"Living apart? Yeah," Mabel smiled her best, pathetic, little smile.

"That's horrible," Grenda noted with a heavy voice.

"That would explain why it became very hard to reach you after that summer," Candy thought aloud.

"Yeah. Kinda sucked when the best plan the parentals could come up with involved having us for alternating months, but then mom had to move out of the county, so we couldn't even do that. Now we just sort of... call one another, sometimes."

"It must have been hard," Candy told her. Mabel nodded, looking between her two friends. She already could feel the vide of the party they were supposed to be having seeping away into a pity-fest for Mabel and Dipper. She kneeled forward, and pointed to the screen, where the movie continued to play.

"Blah! The only stupid feelings I want to see is from those fools! Just kiss her already, Diego!" Mabel called to the TV, getting a laugh from both her friends. The three of them sat together, drinking soda and making fun of the movie's characters intermittently while chatting and catching up. Mabel's mind, however, could not shake that cold spot she had gotten in her chest when thinking about her split family, and then how much had changed since she had last been up in this town.

* * *

><p>Dipper had moved to his car, sitting in the front seat as he looked from one note he made to another. The notes the journal made were obviously not in mind for the outsider to read, as the entries were vague and nonchalant. Dipper grew frustrated with the idea that someone out there was this boring to read about and yet could pose such a threat to the town, or at least themselves.<p>

"The town of Gravity Falls is my next target. I hope they have nice food. I miss nice food," Dipper read aloud from the journal, groaned, "this guy is dull as a cinder block."

The young teen wondered why he was putting this much effort into figuring out this case. The man clearly wasn't a fighting type- being a little taller than Dipper but preferred to run away. Maybe this was just one of those freaky dudes who decided to look up demonology for the sake of boredom. Not only that, he was supposed to be looking up the mysterious blue thing for clues as to what mystery was really going on. Yet, once again, Grunkle Stan's warnings rattled in his head, a siren of bad things to come. That, and you didn't have to be a fighting type to want to do serious harm.

Dipper peered through the windshield of the car, craning his head forward to see if the three upstairs had quieted down. He couldn't see them, but a faint reflection of a television or computer of sorts bounced down to him, and he sighed.

"You just couldn't hold off a night, could you?" he sighed angrily as he considered his sister's inability to displease her friends. He smirked suddenly, the idea of Mabel ever turning someone down when they had done nothing to earn her displeasure made him actually laugh. "Just not in your character," he added.

Dipper sighed as he decided what he was going to be doing. Tossing his notes to the side, he put a key into the ignition, and wound the car up. Heading down to town at night seemed like a crazy idea now, but his mind was set. He was going to get a lead on this one case. He spun the car around, and started driving away. Yet something caught his eye, just above him, high in the treetops.

"Wait," he stopped the car as he scanned high above him. He was certain something wispy and red had just darted above him, disappearing deeper into the forest canopy. He was almost willing to step outside and peer through the trees for the source of the bright color he had seen, yet sighed, remembering why he was leaving the shack for the evening. The car started forward again, and Dipper mentally prepared himself. He was already willing, but the entire night he would be spending looking for traces and clues of this person's whereabouts.

* * *

><p>C'mon guys! So easily distracted! I mean, how easy is it for someone to just PAY ATTENTION to your freaking assignment of blue-cylinder thingy? . But then again, Creepy McSkulk-a-lots (not his real name) was certainly worthy to investigate I think. Who knows what he's up to? :o Then again, GRENDA AND CANDY! WOOPWOOP!<p>

We needed to check in on those two social outcasts :D

Sorry for getting the update so late today, everybody. Midterms have ways of creeping up on you, and they mean business. I hope I didn't have an egregious amount of errors this week- usually pretty good about them.

So, I hope to hear from you ladies and gentlemen! Your words, encouraging or otherwise, always have a way of uplifting my desire to write.

Seeya next week! (EZB pulls a level on his desk, with the label nearby saying 'Dramatic Exit'.)

(From miles away, a massive, fiery explosion rocks the land as the building EZB was in is blasted apart.)


	7. Old And New Faces: Part 2

Hey guys, EZB here. I just wanted to 'heads you all up' on this chapter. It is a tad bit darker than the normal chapters of this story. It's nothing you all shouldn't be able to handle, but we are meeting a villain of this series today- so expect some evil/gross stuff. (Nothing that couldn't be seen in Harry Potter level of gross)

Anyway, Enjoy!

* * *

><p>The strong taste of processed sugar and orange permeated on Mabel's tongue as she felt her mind return to consciousness. Her eyes fluttered open, and she saw the ceiling of the attic room she and her brother stayed in, still moldy in some spots. Giving her lips a stretch, she realized her entire face was entirely crusted with dried out Pitt Orange, along with half her body.<p>

"So... crunchy," she moaned as she began to move her body, slumped over backwards against her bed. A large mess lay before her, grand and incredibly variable in its collection of trash. Dozens and dozens of cans of soda were crushed around them. Grenda had fallen asleep flat on the floor, face half in a large plate of nacho-chips. Candy was nearly tucked inside her duffle bag, situated comfortably in her snuggled position.

Mabel took a quick step, and found herself not entirely inside her head. The previous intake of sugar and processed foods had taken its toll. Her vision was intact, but her mind processed it all just a moment too slowly. Holding her head upright, she accidentally stuck one of her hands against her sticky face. Nearly tripping off of Candy Chiu, she made her way towards the bathroom. She dared herself to look into the mirror and was not entirely surprised. Her hair was sticking up in more places than she could possibly count.

"I am a candied Mabel," she muttered, and let herself fall into the shower, and turned on the cold water. Forgoing the sake of her clothes, she let the less than room temperature water splash her face and head. "Was worth it," she reminded herself with a groggy smile.

Indeed the night had been fun. Those two ladies in the other room were Mabel's perfect get-aways from the rest of the world, and she had forgotten that until last night. In California, back at school, she could remember the friends she had made. Many of them were perfectly fine people, some crazier than others. Yet for almost all of them, a certain amount of judgment was constantly laid at Mabel's feet for her love of all things sparkly and sugary.

These two had no such concept of 'normality'. They themselves had felt the sting of separation, to be labeled as freaks. It was the consolation of being freaky that brought them closer than many other friendships. Mable smiled happily, even as her entire head became soaked in water. She stood back up, pulling a wash-cloth from a wrack and began to dry herself off.

"Now," She turned back towards the room, peering inside, "did Dip-Dip come to bed last night?" she asked herself as she craned her head to the side, looking past the doorway. His bed was truthfully empty, and she sighed. He was still that anti-fun boy she knew all her life. Never turning down a chance to do more work, Dipper was probably off researching more on the creeper from the library and his mystical studies.

With a strong yawn escaping her lips, she turned towards the stairs and descended. Hitting the landing softly, she peeked through to the gift shop and was surprised to see Wendy at her usual work post, and Soos straightening a variety of objects listed around the room. If they were here, then it was much later than she originally thought it was.

"Hey guys," Mabel croaked sleepily as she stumbled through the room.

"Hey," Wendy said from behind a newspaper.

"Sup dude. Up late solving mysteries?" Soos asked with a happy smile.

"Mystery of the boy-crazy romance comedies, maybe," Mabel told him as she rubbed her eyes, "had sleep over with Grenda and Candy.

"Cool- wait," Wendy asked, staring at Mabel as she dropped her paper in a rush," they're here?"

"Yeah? Grenda's van is out front, isn't it?" Mabel answered with a quizzing look towards the red head," why? You trying to hide a surprise from us?" Mabel guessed at the reaction Wendy had.

"No, dude," Wendy waved a reassuring hand at Mabel," no secrets over here."

"I'll be keeping an eye on you," Mabel grinned and stared at Wendy, who chuckled, and then snapped her fingers as her mouth fell open in realization.

"Shoot! Hey, I'll be back in a bit guys," she said, moving towards the door, "I need to go do something quickly. It won't take too long. Cover for me, would ya, Soos?"

"Uh, sure," Soos nodded uncomfortably, "you just let the customers know how much they owe you, right?"

"Something like that. You could probably just make up any number you'd like they'll still hand you money," Wendy said, grabbing her bike and helmet outside and riding off, "see you guys in a bit!"

"Speaking of customers," Mabel turned to Soos, the lack of mentioned individuals catching her notice finally, "where are all the tourists? There's usually a few here or there buying stuff."

"The season has yet to really begin," Soos explained, "and Mister Pines made sure to announce the re-furnishing of the building, so people are aware that the best time to come around is after the Mystery Shack is officially a Manor."

"Mystery Manor," Mabel repeated to herself, her eyes squinting. She wasn't entirely sure she liked the idea of changing her iconic childhood summer hangout into anything else than what it already was. Losing that silly title was like letting go of something dear to her crazy heart, and she sighed as she looked outside. "Well, I'm going to go see if my brother will want to come inside," she told Soos as she stepped outside, "Dipper isn't as gracious a host as I am."

Soos nodded in understanding as Mabel took her first steps outside. To her surprise, she could only locate a few cars before her: Grunkle Stan's classic El Diablo, Grenda's worn love-van, and her own bike. She blinked, and looked around a bit more. She almost circled the entire house looking for his boring black car, and only found Soos's worn pickup truck.

"Soos," Mabel called as she circled around and came into the shop once more, "did you see Dipper leave anywhere this morning?"

"Come to mention it... no," Soos declared with a curt nod, "no, I did not see him leave. But then again, his car wasn't here either." Mabel groaned aloud, surprised she hadn't expected this from her brother. She reasoned that he probably took the car into town, looking for his own quiet place to do his stupid research.

"Hey, you have your cell phone?" Mabel asked Soos, who nodded. "Can we call my brother now?"

* * *

><p>Dippers head was resting against the wheel of his car when he heard the loud buzzing of a cell phone vibration. He jerked up, feeling the pattern of the wheel pressed into his skin, and he wiped away the drool on his lips and chin.<p>

"Ah... dang it," he moaned, looking at the time. It was already eleven, and he was parked nearby the junkyard, overlooking part of a street in downtown Gravity Falls. His phone buzzed, and he reached inside his jacket pocket and pulled it out. While he saw Soos' name on the caller ID, he knew exactly who was calling him. He flipped it open, and answered, "Hey Mabel."

"You dingus!" Mabel called through the phone, loud enough for Dipper to wince.

"What? I'm a dingus!? You're the one who invited your friends over when we're in the middle of an investigation!" Dipper accused her grumpily.

"You didn't have to bail, like, off the face of the earth though!" Mabel retorted, "where are you? Timbuktu?"

"In town," Dipper sighed as he stretched his mouth lazily, "I was trying to watch for the book-thief."

"But what if something had gotten you?" Mabel asked, Dipper registering the fear in her voice.

"I was in my car, dude," he reassured her, "so... I'm fine. Eugh. You sounded like mom for a second there," Dipper groaned.

"Maybe 'cus you're being stupid!" Mabel scolded him, "promise you're at least going to come back soon, right?"

Dipper looked down the street. He couldn't get a perfect visual on the library. His parking was entirely free, which meant gravel by the side of the road, not by an actual prime spot. He wondered if he would get lucky, and the chance of that was too tempting.

"Yeah, I'm just going to stick around a bit longer, you know? See if he decides coming back today," Dipper told his sister firmly as he turned his car on.

"Oh c'mon dude. You don't really think he's going to return to the scene of the crime, do you?" Mabel asked him.

"He lost half his books, which he was willing to steal after being caught. And if I was a crazy magic, obsessed book collector," Dipper explained, "I wouldn't consider some teenagers renting the books for themselves. So yeah, I'd return to the scene of the crime, just to try checking them out." Mabel sighed loudly. Dipper could almost feel her resting a palm of her hand onto her face. "Just chill for an hour, okay? I'll be back."

"Fine. You better," Mabel said defiantly," or I'll never let down that I can kick butt better than you!" She added teasingly.

"Wha- I can- you- fine! Whatever," Dipper growled and hung up.

Dipper grasped the wheel and spun it as he left the gravel parking lot, and turned right, towards the town's inner workings. He scowled as he looked around, still annoyed with Mabel's intent on letting him know how she supposedly could fight much better than he could. He rolled his eyes, his own thoughts betraying what he knew was true; she was truly talented at the martial art stuff.

He had witnessed her talents as he watched how high she had been able to kick at the Shapeshifter two days ago. Looking back though, he wondered if it had been the Shapeshifter who had done that insane mid-air acrobatic. It didn't matter, he argued to himself, turning down a street that lead to the library. If the Shapeshifter could do it, so could she.

Mabel had always been, and always would be, an utter ham. Dipper had joked that was what made her and Waddles so compatible, when the pig had lived with them years ago. It inclined her to brag and boast about the silliest and most ridiculous things, brazenly excited for anything she could flaunt to her brother. He knew that she meant no harm, usually, but it did grate on him.

"I can fight," Dipper told himself as he had the car parked by the spot the previous day, and turned the engines off, "I've fought multi-bear! I survived Rumble. I... ugh," he sifted his hands through his hair as he growled. It didn't make sense- he knew perfectly well he could perform just as well as her, and had done so before. So why did it annoy him to hear it rubbed in his face when he held evidence to the contrary?

Dipper took a nice breath, long breath and closed his eyes. These were the kinds of thoughts that had lead him to spend nearly an entire weekend, all forty-eight hours, practicing chess until he was certain he would not be beaten for a coming tournament. Truthfully, he didn't lose the match that following Monday, but at the cost of hardly remembering what strategy he used. The fifteen year old sitting in his car considered that, maybe, he should monitor his competitive nature.

"Only if she does too," Dipper told himself aloud, as he scanned around for a moment. The spot he was parked in was only permitted for thirty minutes, so he had some time to lay in wait. He wouldn't have to for very long, as luck turned out. Dipper looked into his side mirror, and he spotted the same person, with the very same hood on top of his head. "Bingo," Dipper grinned.

He sat in his car, very still, watching the man walk inside the shop casually. His mind raced. He considered calling for back up- in truth, he had really just wanted Mabel to clean up the room by the time he returned, and waiting for this hooded figure had been a rouse. But a chance like this wasn't one that would present itself often. The last time he had approached this person, the man outright ran for it. Dipper reasoned that maybe he could grab this person on his own.

"Okay, fighting time, yeah," Dipper breathed heavily, his nerves starting up, "here we go. He comes out, and I jump him. Just do that punchy stuff that- yeah, or a kick. Maybe just tackle him and, yeah," Dipper let his mind zoom through scenarios at light speed, unable to come to a stead conclusion as to what to do. His mind settled on nothing, and the minutes passed as he worried about his tactics.

"Just get the dude," Dipper told himself, staring at the library's entrance. Finally, after what could have been the entire time he was allowed to remain parked in that spot, the figure emerged. He appeared livid; his hands were shaking and his mouth was quivering. The man turned away, apparently muttering to himself. Dipper smiled at himself as he was certain the reason the man was so upset was their renting of the books. Dipper switched his car on, and turned it around to follow the man.

The hooded man's pace was slow, and it pained Dipper. He worried that another car would come to rest behind Dipper's, and the whole cover would be blown. The stalking teenager could feel a faint trail of sweat building on the back of his neck and hands, staring at the back of the head of the hooded man.

Without warning, the man stopped and stood rigid and upright. Dipper's foot naturally struck the break roughly, and the tires squeaked loudly. Dipper swore loudly, aware that if he had once any cover, it was now blown entirely. The man remained standing still, right by the entrance of an alley, and turned and walked down it.

"Stupid," Dipper grinned as he turned the car to park by the entrance, "no where out of this one," he said, noticing the tall wooden fence at the end of the alley. Stepping out of his car, he started around the end, aware that each step he took brought him closer to an impending encounter with a potentially dangerous, but fearful, man.

A wooden two-by-four was sitting in a pile of trash by the side of a building. Dipper was confident he had this man trapped, but he would play it safe. Lifting the large wooden stick up, he stepped forward, one well placed step after another. His eyes gazed around, the darkness of the buildings shadows dimming his sense of sight. A corner by the left building came closer, and Dipper rounded it at a distance. There, in the corner, the man in the hood had pressed himself against the wall, facing him.

"W-where are the b-books?" the person asked, his voice trembling in what could have been a nervous tick. "Where d-d-did you t-take the books?"

"You don't get to know that, "Dipper said, his two-by-four readied at his shoulder," what you're going to do is step out, and come with me. I have some questions that you-"

"I... I," the man began, his head trembling. Dipper finally saw the face of the person, and he seemed anything but scared. His lips were twisted in fury, and his brows were furrowed in anger. "I w-w-won't answer to SOMEONE LIKE YOU!" he screamed at the top of his lungs.

Dipper took a step back; a mistake that cost him the chance to attack. Something hard and metal slammed into his gut, and actually lifted him back and into the air, pinning him with it's force against the wall behind him. He gasped for air and looked down. A glowing broken metal pipe floated evenly in the air, holding him in place as he struggled for breath. He looked back to the man, who's hood had fallen past his face slightly.

The blonde man held a hand forward, apparently controlling the position of the glowing metal pipe. His eyes were wide and his mouth fell open, and he began to smile wickedly, laughing manically.

"Oh, how has th-the mighty fallen!" the man stated cruelly, his tick all but evaporated," I, I think that you had a great idea," the no-longer hooded man stated, stepping forward. He bent lower, still keeping his one hand forward and open, pinning Dipper to the wall as he struggled for breath and freedom. The man lifted up the two-by-four with his free hand, and gave it a strong grip. "You see- uh... oh," the man suddenly found himself struggling to grip the two-by-four," that's a bit heavier than, aagh," the man tried giving the two-by-four a swing through the air, "you, man! This is heavy! You lack a certain... umph."

The man made his powerful swing. Dipper cringed and cried out, unable to defend himself at all. There was a clunk aside the wall next to him, and Dipper opened his eyes slowly. The man had missed Dipper's head entirely, having the blunt object bounce off the wall.

"Oh, come on!" the man growled, and tried again. He was entirely limited to his one hand, and Dipper, despite being pinned to the wall, watched incredulously as the man was unable to properly swing around a stick made out of wood. "How do you work these things?!" the man shouted angrily. Dipper couldn't even take him seriously, watching him fail again and again to attack a pinned down teenager against a wall. It was almost pathetic.

"You try turning it off and on again?" Dipper managed to gasp. The man, stunned at Dipper's comment, tossed aside the blunt wooden object with a growl.

"How about I turn you off and on again, huh?" the man growled, motioning the metal pipe away.

"That's what she sai- Gah!" Dipper fell forward, gasping for air as his lungs finally expanded again after a near solid minute of little oxygen.

"Teenagers," the man said lazily, rolling his eyes as he whipped his hand in mid-air, and the pipe swung itself against Dipper's head. The teen had little time to react, and after a dull pain rung his skull, his eyes fluttered shut and he fell into darkness.

* * *

><p>Mabel sat on her bed, tossing the blue special battery into the air with a twirl. It had been two hours since she had called Dipper, nearing three, and she was growing anxious. Dipper was many things- over analytical, melodramatic, and a smarty pants, but late? He was never late.<p>

"C'mon bro," she craned her head out the window, looking down the driveway. It had been a while since Candy and Grenda had left happily, excited at the prospect at more chances to catch up like they had before. Mabel had been excited too, but their departure meant he had been late. A late Dipper made Mabel nervous.

She bounced herself off the bed and, the battery in hand, marched out of the room. She nearly stomped down the stairs as she headed towards the deck. Mabel passed Wendy without a word, who had only just returned from whatever task she had set out to do earlier that morning. Mabel didn't notice the redheads spirited hello, instead sullenly walking out, moving to the worn wooden bench outside.

She slouched forward, resting her chin on a supporting hand. Mabel held that crazy blue battery ahead, peering deep within its mystic glow. Her mind poured over the possibilities. Aliens, faeries, futuristic weaponry, a tool from the future itself, even a kind of god-seed popped into her head. A sigh escaped her lips and she let her hand fall aside, and she fell back against the seat.

Mabel was not good at holding feelings in. Her emotions hit hard, hit true, and she never held them back. It was difficult, sitting there, when her mind and heart kept feeling that Dipper was in trouble. Yet, for all she knew, he was just being a jerk; taking his time to prove a point or something along those lines. Her thoughts trailed back, and she heard her master's words spoken months ago.

"You want to know why," her spectacular teacher had asked her, "you can't find balance?"

"Of course I do!" Mabel had responded, frustrated and tired at her lack of improvement.

"Well, Mabel," her teacher had graced her to use her first name in training, a privilege apparently not given to many, "I hate to let you down here, but this isn't a quick answer, and it's also one I can't tell you."

"Whaaat?!" Mabel had cried loud, plopping on the sparring mat with trembling lips," but... does that mean I'm done? Have I failed this test? Is this a test?!" Mabel continued to asked in growing panic.

"Mabel, no! Relax," her teacher had sat in front of her as well, "what that means is you have reached a point now where you need to begin to ask yourself a serious question."

"A question? A question to answer a question?" Mabel remembered asking, "that sounds dumb." She had received a quick bop on her head for the smart comment.

"Mabel," her teacher had continued, a steady, truthful voice calling to even as she sat down on the worn wooden bench by the Mystery Manor, "you need to know what it is you really, really seek through The Paths."

"What I want," Mabel said aloud as she looked down the dirt road before her feet," what I want."

She pushed herself from the seat, and approached the grass to the side of the road. There was a particularly nice spot near the woods she spotted. With a satisfied sigh, she dropped herself to sit cross-legged on the ground. She closed her eyes, and took a deep breath.

"What I want," she sighed slowly, letting the breath flow from her lips. This was, above everything else she had ever learned in her study of The Paths, the hardest for her. Meditation; to sit quietly and mutter to herself a supposedly fundamental part of her life until she received an answer at a random point in her life was beyond difficult. Her mind, hyperactive as it was, would glance off her thoughts and consider something else, usually unrelated.

She loved that about herself. It made putting together projects, and essays, and all sorts of collective assignments for school that much more exciting. She would end up knowing more than even the assignment called for. Granted, her father enjoyed pointing out that her understanding of these things was mostly unimportant. She had discovered the pants sizes of President Lincoln and his cabinet before knowing their important dates during the civil war.

She grimaced and groaned angrily. She had done it again; the thoughts trailing along to past projects and her own past. She rubbed her temple, wondering if there was ever any hope to herself as a student of the amazing skills she had seen her master complete. If Dipper thought the idea of The Paths was cool, wait until she got really good.

"Mabel?" the voice of Soos called from the side of the building behind Mabel.

"Hi Soos," she called behind her, not standing to face him, but remaining seated.

"Oh, whoa, what are you doing?" Soos asked as he approached her, his tool belt jostling its inhabitants.

"I'm doing ninja stuff," Mabel said mystically, "meditation, Soos. I'm meditating."

"Whoa, for real? Hambone, that sounds sweet," Soos said excitedly as he rounded her, walking to be in front of her. "So you, what, just sit down and hum a lot?"

"No, silly," Mabel told him as she looked up, "you think upon the ancient and deep philosophical question-"

"The meaning of life?!" Soos quickly blurted out, "oh dude, you have no idea how often I have that float through my head, you know. Like, at least six times a day."

"Not that one," Mabel corrected her friend, "but instead, 'what do you want'?"

"What... do I want?" Soos repeated. He nodded, stroking his chin as he contemplated, and eventually came to sit next to Mabel, "oh man, you weren't kidding, this one is a toughie. Can I say... a good sandwich?"

"Soos, this has to be fo' serious-ness," Mabel explained seriously, "The Paths is an... well, it's not ancient at all, but it is a study of ourselves... and stuff. And if we want to know us, we should know what we want, right?"

"Wow. Okay, I'm so doing this with you. How do I start?" Soos asked excitedly, putting his legs in crisscross pattern.

"You sit like that, nice and upright," Mabel informed him, "and then you think about what you really want. In life? I think?" Mabel had to guess, as the entire question itself was so open ended and vague that she still struggled to understand it.

"Right. Here we go, thinking time," Soos nodded to himself, prodding his hat around, "Soos the thinker is here to stay. Stay awhile for thinkin'," he said, and fell quiet. Mabel smiled and peered at him for a moment, and let her own eyes close, trying to ponder on her own needs from her study of the Paths. "Thiiiinkiiiing," Soos muttered, catching Mabel off guard, who popped open an eyelid to glance at him. "Think, think, think," Soos continued as his pitch grew higher, and Mabel fell from her readied position to watch him grow puffy red in the face.

"Soos, you can breathe you know," Mabel informed him.

"OH-" Soos gasped and heaved loudly," oh man! I was beginning to think that this thing was impossible! Ha!" Soos chuckled at his mistake, "so, was I doing it right?"

"Uh... try doing that 'thinking thing' inside your head, you know?" Mabel tried being gentle with Soos, who nodded again with excitement; the man-child eager to learn something mysterious and cool. Mabel, with a moment hesitation to check with Soos, readied herself and once again let her mind drift on that same thought.

Soos then began to hum. This wasn't a problem at first, as he held on level note while he sat there. Eventually it changed- it became a mild and slow beat, and he wasn't terribly on key with the tune: a theme from a television show. Mabel sighed and scratched her scalp as she listened, finally looking to her friend.

"Soos, it's best to be, you know, silent," Mabel finally piped up.

"Oh! Whoops, I guess I blew it again, didn't I? Sorry dude," Soos chuckled as he rubbed the back of the neck," you know, this sort of thing sure is difficult."

"You're telling me," Mabel sighed. Perhaps it was her own inflections to her inability to meditate that got the better of her, because Soos blinked and looked disheartened.

"Oh. I'm sorry Mabel," Soos said, removing his hat and twisting it nervously. She whipped her head and stared at him.

"Huh? It's okay, Soos," She said assumingly.

"Well, you know, you're trying hard for this stuff, and here I am doing the theme of Afternoon Rider. I'm a total distraction, aren't I?" Soos had beaten himself up quickly, and Mabel hated it. She grasped his shoulder, and leant him closer.

"Soos, my bud," she said firmly, "don't even beat yourself up like that."

"But I am a distraction, aren't I?"

"Soos, you know, if I was doing this right, I wouldn't even know if you were singing next to me," Mabel admitted solemnly, "that's the idea behind this sort of thing- like you sort of lock down and just focus on thinking and stuff."

"Oh... so you're the one at fault for being distracted?" Soos asked, puzzled at the turn-about, "that doesn't seem right."

"Sort of. I mean, Soos, you have to be quiet, but still, I shouldn't be getting distracted with you if I was really doing this right," Mabel admitted, "like my master. She can do it even when she lives in the city- windows open and everything! Car horns going off and people yelling like jerks; it doesn't bother her one bit!"

"Wow. She sounds like a swell lady," Soos admitted with awe.

"She is my master and teacher," Mabel reminded Soos with a grin, "she usually says that meditating on stuff helps clear your head."

"Something bugging you, then?" Soos questioned her.

"It's Dipper," Mabel sighed, holding up the blue battery for the two the view, "he said on the phone he'd be here in an hour. Like, three hours ago. The jerk is going to be all mad if I go check on him, but I'm mad at myself for not making sure he's okay."

"Three hours is a while. But," Soos added to Dipper's defense, "Private investigations are a timely and day-consuming process. One must always be ready for anything, including delays."

Mabel sighed and nodded, and gave the blue battery a nice toss in the air, having it spin around rapidly. As it landed in Mabel's hand, she yelped loudly. A spark jolted out, and suddenly, it was humming loudly, the light emanating from it brighter and more solid.

"... and to think, some little punk could get in my way," a voice stated from the cylinder. Soos and Mabel stared at the object, their eyes wide as they turned their ears in attention.

"Where... where am I?" a familiar voice called through the cylinder, and Mabel gasped. That was absolutely Dipper who was speaking. "What did you do to me?" Dipper's voice demanded.

"Just a bump on th-the head, kid," the other voice stated," the same kind you would have given me, I'm sure."

"Dude, let me go," Dipper stated from the cylinder. Mabel stared at the object. It had somehow become a kind of radio-transmitter, communicating events from a distant place.

"Oh, r-right. The kid tied up, bleeding from the head, and totally and utterly out of control here demands to be let go. Nice t-try, hero," the other voice grew louder, as if he was approaching the source of recording.

"Oh no!" Mabel squeaked, the feeling in her body becoming faint and distant. The list had been entirely the opposite to what she had needed to hear. Dipper was hurt, captive, and the man sounded happy about this. He was pleased to have captured Dipper; it was as if she could feel a horrible grin speaking these words. Mabel tried speaking, but Soos quieted her, pointing on the glowing battery.

"What are you doing here? What's with all the crazy books anyway?" Dipper's voice demanded, and the other laughed. "That's... not particularly funny."

"It is, though! I d-don't even know what it is I'm doing here," the man answered, humor in his voice, "I'm just checking up on a lead."

"Wh- a lead?" Dipper's voice repeated.

"Yeah. Something of a notification I was made aware of, and I need to check up on it. Y-you and that other one, the g-girl," the voice accused Dipper, "should have known better to come back looking for me. You even saw the k-kinds of material I was researching, and yet all you could do was... come back?" the voice laughed again.

"They'll come for me soon," Dipper informed him strongly, "and we're going to have a heck of an interrogation for you."

"Yes," the voice cooed dangerously, and there was a rushing sound and Dipper grunted loudly and coughed a few times," I'm trembling. Absolutely scared for my life. They'll know exactly how to open the hidden gate next to the Garbage Dump. That's, after all, just common knowledge to look for a little glowing orange button cleverly hidden under a fake banana peel, isn't it?"

"... you don't have to be a dick about it, you know," Dipper told the man.

"We have to save him!" Mabel cried out," he could be torturing him!"

"Dang right we do!" Soos agreed," let me get a baseball b-"

"WHO'SE THERE?!" a voice bellowed from the cylinder," WHO ARE YOU?! REVEAL YOURSELF!" Mabel and Soos slammed their mouths shut. They hadn't anticipated that the Cylinder could have been a two-way communicator. "Who... who was that!? One of them sounded familiar!" the voice supposedly accused Dipper.

"...What voices?" Dipper sounded amused. This resulted in a loud whack and Dipper gasped, sighing in pain, "you're just going crazy."

"This is something you're doing! How're you doing this?!" the frantic voice demanded before yelling. The small battery's light faded away, and the two were left sitting their staring with wide horrified eyes.

"Oh man... Dipper's in trouble!" Soos managed to state aloud, worry pouring through his voice.

Mabel remained still, all the energy being siphoned into her mind. She felt a sickening weight deep within herself, a dark and horrible ball of condense fear. She sat there, fearing the kind of harm that could befall her brother. She couldn't let him be hurt, she refused to. A spark had ignited the horrible fear, and she stood, her fists clenched.

"I'm going to save him," She told Soos," you coming, Soos?"

"I won't leave my buddy to some crazy magic-nutto," Soos nodded and stood up as well.

"It's Dipper-rescuing time," Mabel announced, and turned for the door. She and the larger man knew exactly what was needed. She turned and ran back through the gift shop, stunning the reading redhead by the counter.

"Wha?" Wendy asked as Mabel charged back through once more, this time with her keys in her hand. Soos had also grabbed his backpack and toolkit, and turned with Mabel to leave.

"Off to rescue Dipper!" Soos informed Wendy. At the mention of Dipper in need of such actions, she whipped her feet around and stood up, clearly ready to help.

"Where?" she asked them solidly.

"Somewhere in town," Mabel told them, "by the garbage dump."

Wendy's impressive aura of action seemed dulled at the revealing of the location. Mabel was sure of what she saw- the redhead had seemed nervous, her eyes loosing focus at the mention of town. That didn't stop her though, as she reached for her bike helmet with vigor.

"What's got him?" Wendy demanded.

"A person. We caught him trying to steal books that have old spells in them," Mabel explained, and Wendy nodded.

"Right, then lets-"

"Hey, Wendy! You seen Soos? I need you two for pulling out the super-rusted nails under the new staircase. You there?" Grunkle Stan called. Wendy turned to the sound, and peered to the source.

"You two go," Wendy sighed, "I'll make up a story for you Soos. Just be safe, and make sure he's okay," Wendy told her friend and co-worker.

"You got it!" Soos diligently said, and after a jab with Mabel's elbow, he corrected himself quietly, "you got it."

* * *

><p>Dipper watched his captor pace, staring at Dipper in return. Since the sounds of Mabel and Soos literally popped out of no-where, the man had not taken his eyes away from Dipper. He had also stopped his occasional beatings, looking uncertain to approach Dipper. That was, to Dipper's credit, a stroke of good work on his part; warning him he may or may not have means to contact others.<p>

In truth, he had no idea as to what really those sounds had been. They were certainly Mabels gasp, and he was sure the other sounded like Soos; but how did they get in here? And if they were in here, why didn't they rescue him? This hadn't sounded like a phone on speakers, but a distant but loud conversation happening in the vicinity.

"Look dude," Dipper started again, sighing at a particularly contemptible glare from the older man, "why don't you just tell me what's going on? This could be a big miscommunication, for all we know."

The man raised his eyebrows, and chuckled. Dipper cursed under his breath as the man turned away, leaving him alone. It had been a lie- Dipper was positive this person was not someone they would ever want to help, and wasn't here for the benefit of humanity. Looking around in his pool of light, Dipper could see several melting candles around him and what appeared to be several small clay bowls. He was on a rock of some sort, entirely tied up and unable to budge, except forward, towards the unknown enemy. The most he could make out was the faint sound of water in the distance.

"What do you want with me?" Dipper tried again heatedly.

"Originally, nothing," the man called from beyond the clarity of the light above Dipper, "but my having you here is rather fortunate. You just poked your nose into the wrong business, probably for the last time."

Dipper swallowed. The man's voice, like it had been when not desperately angry or aggressive, presented a man of business. It was as if he had this type of conversation on a daily basis, speaking to people desperate for answers and freedom while he did whatever he was planning.

"Speaking of which," the man uttered, and his steps grew closer and louder. The man once again appeared into the light. Hands reached forward and tightly grasped Dipper's shoulders, pulling him up and away from the light. His legs were bound just loosely enough for him to shuffle along with the mild push that the man gave, now behind him.

Dipper finally could see around him. The surroundings were impressive; a sprawling cavern deep in the earth, strewn with wires and several pieces of furniture. There was a collection of crates with strange materials poking out, ranging from jars of eyeballs to a mummified leg of something similar to a cow. Above him, water dripped from stalactites, splashing into the large body of water before them.

The patch of dry earth they were on overlooked a drop of nearly fifteen feet to an underground pond, roughly a hundred feet or so in diameter. Dipper wondered what the sound of rushing water he could hear originated from, and to his far left were a series of open drainage pipes. One in particular opened up at waist height, and was easily wide enough for someone to fall through.

"For the bodies," the man grinned wickedly as he spotted Dipper staring at the pipe, "it leads out to the lake, and I have yet for anyone to notice anyone missing."

"You- you've hurt people!?" Dipper tried rounding on the man, but was thrown down at the first struggle he gave. Dipper felt a kick to his chin, and groaned, looking back up at the man above him.

"Get up. I could k-kick all day, you know," the man told him bitterly. Dipper started standing back up, and the second he was on his feet, the same rough hands grabbed the collar of his vest and pulled him close to the edge of the water. A stone surface, presumably a former stalagmite cut to resemble a blocky table, was where Dipper was pushed to.

"Stay put, or I'll toss you into the water. Looks pretty deep, doesn't it?" The man warned with his nasty grin. As Dipper stared hatefully back, the man spun, and started collecting books and materials. Dipper watched at first, and then he noticed the block of rock he was atop wasn't smooth. It had divots and makings on the surface that made some sort of pattern. He couldn't see the entire thing, but he was starting to wonder if he was laying on top of a pentagram.

"You... are you a Satanist or something!?" Dipper demanded, and the man burst out laughing.

"Satanists aren't the only ones who use pentagrams," the man uttered with amusement, "Pegans, Wiccans, Druids- pretty much half the cults of the world use the pentagram. Good eye, though, but bad guess."

"Just what are you supposed to be then? What do you want?" Dipper yelled at him in defiance, feeling the bite of the binds on his limbs. The man's amused stare faltered, and he looked to Dipper with an almost considering stare.

"One word, kid. Power," the man stated strongly, "I'm looking for power."

"Why?! Why does every nut-job want to become a crazy ruler of the world or whatever," Dipper said aside, shaking his head in the realization that he was dealing with another person fixated with domineering people. His thoughts were cut short though, as the man chuckled.

"I don't care about ruling people, you fool," he told Dipper, a smirk worthy of any villian stretched across his face.

"Fool? Really, dude," Dipper retorted to the guy, "this isn't the fifties. You don't use 'fool' when you're trying to be scary."

"Shut up!" the man yelled," I, a master of spellcraft, won't be told how to speak to anyone!"

"Spellcraft?" Dipper said, considering the books and strange supplies laid out around them. "You... you're a wizard or something, aren't you?"

"Wizard? No. I'm not a pretty little book writer," the man started," I'm an applier of the arcane."

"Uh, sure, whatever dude, whatever you think," Dipper rolled his eyes at the vague answer.

"I'm a warlock, punk," The man stated with a spray of spit at Dippers direction.

"Warlock?" Dipper said more to himself than to his captor.

"You're not deaf, right?" the warlock teased meanly, continuing to collect more material.

Dipper flipped the mental pages in his mind, desperately combing for the term 'warlock'. He wondered if the journal had anything at all to relate to this man, but the journal was far away, safe in the Mystery Manor. He knew warlock was a type of person who associated with magic and spells, and that, to his personal knowledge in games like 'Strongholds and Serpents', warlocks were magic casters who dealt with dangerous kinds of magic. This guy had already shown he can levitate and use objects with a motion of his hands, and it easily had pinned Dipper to the wall in mid air.

"What's the difference between a warlock and a wizard, exactly?" Dipper asked, trying to get the better of the person with plain curiosity.

"What's it to you?" the warlock asked, standing up to stare at Dipper, having been bent over a collection of material. Dipper merely shrugged and the magic user relented, "it's all about what we want."

"What you want?" Dipper repeated.

"A wizard is a scientist of the arcane. They invent and study the elements of magic. Warlocks are a little more... p-practical," the warlock added with a small grin, and Dipper looked to him with confusion, "it means we want to mess some faces up with this stuff."

"Magical... bullies," Dipper said to himself, entirely unimpressed with how it sounded, "you really thought that learning magic and curses was a better answer than working out an punching people? Man, and I thought I had a hard time gaining muscle."

"Speaking of muscles," the man said, bringing over his collection to Dipper, who lifted his head to keep an eye on him, "I'll be needing one of yours for a bit. It d-doesn't matter which, really. Say, what do you think about blood? Does it make you feel faint?"

"What!?" Dipper gasped, as the man quickly pushed Dipper slightly aside, lifting his arm up. Without another warning, Dipper felt a quick white hot gash across his forearm, and he shouted. The warlock had just cut into his arm, and he could feel blood trickling down his side. "God! Agh!" Dipper gasped as the injury took its effect on him. Dipper wouldn't let himself appear any weaker than he already was, and he buried his pain deep in his mind.

Dipper glared at the assailant, who watched the injury on Dipper's arm. He seemed fixated on the spot of harm, his already pale face growing even whiter. "Ah... okay. J-just collect the blood. Juuuust collect it, remember to breathe, okay," the warlock told himself said as he timidly raised the bowl to Dipper's cut arm, letting the warm blood drip in. The unnamed warlock then looked to Dipper, annoyance in his eyes. "What?" he asked Dipper.

"I think you're more freaked out about this than I am," Dipper spat back, furious and scared that this man had taken to cutting him while tied up.

"I- well- at least I'm not all in a bind... HA! I like that," the warlock laughed forcefully, quickly turning and lifting a bowl from the altar, "that was a good joke."

"Go screw yourself," Dipper shouted as the man walked away to a table, bringing his supplies and fresh blood with him. Dipper could still feel the blood running down his arm. The cut wasn't deep, but with enough time he could become faint. "That's... all you're going to do?" Dipper asked after a moment, and the warlock not turning to face him.

"For now," the warlock stated, "I may need more of your blood later. Just don't go and bleed out and die on me, would you p-please?"

Dipper growled loudly, hating the lack of care this person had for anything other than himself. He was a true bastard, and Dipper could only visualized the amount of hurt he wanted to put on this man.

Being tied to the flat object, Dipper could do little in terms of vengeance. His eyes remained fixed on the other man, and he watched as he began to pull together a list of ingrediants. A larger bowl was laid before him, and he began to pour ingredients in, including Dipper's blood. The man was muttering words as he stirred, a language Dipper could not understand. It sounded harsh and quick, an almost northern European sounding dialect.

Time passed, and Dipper's breathing became heavy. He felt light headed. The back of his shirt and his rear were all soaked in his own blood, having trickled down as time passed. His eyes remained focused, staring at the man who was still working on the bowl before him. Dipper, in the meantime, had attempted to wriggle out of the ropes while the man was distracted.

He wondered what had happened earlier. He knew that he had heard Mabel and Soos' voices, but he couldn't figure out how, or why. Looking around, he noticed the abundance of open pipes on the ceiling and the various walls, even an opening far off that must lead to the surface. None of them seemed feasible for someone to be lurking around, watching the two of them. Had Mabel and Soos been nearby, they would have tried to get him up and out already.

Dipper then spotted, in his backpack, just sticking out from one of the pockets, the small blue cylinder. It gave off that faint little white light as usual, humming gently in the darkness. His mind pondered; could it have been that? Maybe it was some strange communication device of sorts? He hadn't noticed any kind of way to operate it- no buttons or knobs rested on its surface, so he hadn't considered anything other than a type of container.

"Finally," a voice called from the ritual table that the warlock stood by. Dipper turned to the man and realized something important had happened. A dim orange light was shining from the bowl, illuminating the warlocks face. His face was stretched with a horrible grin, grim excitement at his operant accomplishment. "No hiding from me, not this time."

The warlock lifted the bowl up, and poured the liquid material into a small pewter colored cup. to Dipper's disgust, he lifted the glass and drained the entire contents, including his blood with a single drink. Dipper groaned, and watched in horror, uncertain to the spells intended effects.

The warlock placed the glass back down, gasping loudly. He clutched his mouth, his eyes bulging. Even from his distance, Dipper could tell this man appeared sick- sweat started falling from him and burped loudly, and gagged.

"Ugh. That was horrible," the warlock shook his head quickly, and looked to his hands. Nothing was happening. The warlock turned around, looking at the bowl in confusion, "so... what d-do I-"

Without warning, he gasped, and a blast of wind and light shook the cave. The warlock began to float mid-air, his eyes glowing with the same orange light that the bowl had, but it shone out like a search light. His entire body radiated that same color, and he stared blankly above him.

"Holy..." Dipper began, uncertain as to what would happen next. This kind of event was exactly on the opposite to what he had hoped would happen during this investigation, and he was partially to blame.

To Dipper's astonishment, he was able to peer past the glowing light of the levitating Warlock, and see to the cavern entrance. Two heads had just popped out, and looked towards the Warlock. A larger man, and a long brown haired girl stared in bewilderment.

"Guys!" Dipper tried calling to them, trying to minimize his desire to shout them over to him. Mabel quickly spotted him, and motioned to Soos Dipper's location. The two, after a moment to exchange a word, darted from the entrance to hide behind a long stretch of stalagmites. They ran between each one, and got closer and closer, avoiding as much detection from the floating man as possible.

"Dipper!" Mabel whispered anxiously as they ran to him, and she noticed the red liquid behind him, "oh my god! Your arm!" she held a hand to her mouth.

"It's a cut, but I'll live," Dipper told her, trying to calm her quickly; her eyes had already began to shimmer in what would be tears," just get me out and we can stop that maniac!"

"Hold on a sec bud," Soos told him, retrieving a small pair of shears, and began to remove each of the ropes on Dipper, "we need to wrap up that arm of yours. It's still bleeding a little there."

"After we get that guy!" Dipper hissed and pointed to the floating warlock," he's freaking crazy!"

"Who's more important?" Mabel yelled at Dipper, who blinked and recoiled from her burst," you?! Or jerk-face over there!?"

Dipper studied his sister face closely. Her mouth quivered as she stared back, a whole mess of emotions racing through her head. Dipper couldn't help but let the weight of responsibility crash down onto him. It was his fault for not coming back when they wanted him to, and he approached the Warlock alone. Not only was he hurt, his sister was being torn up about it.

"Gah!" a voice called from the floating warlock, and the three whipped their heads to face the now descending man. The warlock clutched his head, grumbling at first. Then he turned from them, and shouted, slamming his fists on the table, scattering the remaining contents to the floor. "TH-THATS IMPOSSIBLE! That's impossible! How c-could there be soo many high level energy signatures!? What c-could have such an output to cloud my targeting abilities, and still move about like... like a..."

The warlock stalled. His entire rant had been loud enough for Soos and Mabel to continue to unravel and get Dipper to his feet. That was until the end of the warlock's rant, when he began to think more and speak less. Dipper had let off one loud, pained sigh as he got back to his feet. It had been loud enough for the warlock to slowly turn, his eyes wide and full of fury. Mabel, Soos, and Dipper couldn't think of a safe place to hide- the closest hide-behind able stalagmite was too far away to quietly scamper behind, and Dipper was too far out of his bindings to appear nonchalant.

Finally the warlock let his gaze fall onto the three, and his fury vanished instantly. He blinked, not entirely sure he was seeing well. He even looked back to his empty bowl, and scratched his eyebrows.

"Are.. are you real?" he asked to the three.

"I think a more interesting question is 'what is real, if anything'?" Soos reposted cleverly. Mabel and Dipper turned and looked at Soos incredulously. The warlock blinked, and his expression went from confusion to rage so quickly it could have been missed with a single blink of the eye. "Oh. Wrong answer. Shoot!" Soos gulped.

The warlock made his move. Taking the same dagger he had used to cut Dipper, he held it in his left hand, and it glowed- a strange series of runes appearing along its surface. The knife then levitated, and Dipper shouted, "Watch out!"

Soos dived out of the way just in time, throwing himself flat on the ground to avoid the flying dagger. It soared like an arrow and struck a stalactite, splitting it into pieces. Mabel had dived over her brother, shielding him from any potential harm. As soon as the dagger had fallen away, no longer glowing, she tugged and pulled Dipper down and behind the table, away from harm.

"I'm fine!" Dipper told her, and shook his head towards the warlock, "Get him!"

Mabel turned her gaze towards the man, who was busy shuffling through a bag, pulling out a long metal chain. She nodded to her brother and stood. Soos was pushing himself off the ground as the two faced the warlock.

The warlock chuckled as he gave them a quick eye, his hands busy running over the length of the chain. The same runes appeared along them, and he grasped them with a deathly grip. The chains began to writhe and twist, acting alive and totally under the control of the devilish man standing across them.

With a roar, the man lunged his hands forward. Like a snake, the chains sprung ahead. Mabel was quick to dodge, and then run forward, barely running under the attack. Soos, on the other hand, was not so fortunate. The chains slammed into him and he was thrown back. He hit a large stalagmite, and the chains quickly made work to wrap themselves around him, tying him hard against the rock.

"Soos!" Mabel cried as she turned to check on her older friend, "You let my friend go!" Mabel shouted as she leapt up, and kicked at the man. He stepped back hastily, wearily looking at Mabel.

"You're the one... I heard your voice," the warlock angrily accused her, "you're th-the one who kept up with me at the library!"

"Are you the one who hurt my brother?" she demanded, in a way that even surprised her. There was no joke within her voice, not thought of pleasantry. If someone was going to mess with her brother, she would have a few things to say about it.

"Maybe?" he stated slyly, "Maybe not. He's sort of useless, you know- maybe he just slipped while I dragged him-"

Mabel was done, absolutely done listening to him. This guy was everything that she and her brother could hate about someone. She ran at him, and again made to kick at him, an impressively high spin in midair letting her land her foot near his head, He raised an arm to block, and was knocked aside. As he stumbled away, gasping, Mabel sneered; another person had, once again, underestimated her severely.

The warlock was quick to scramble back to his feet, and he motioned his hand above his head. A light ring hummed from elsewhere in the cave, and a dagger flew into his hands once again. Mabel let her reflexes do their work; leaping back as the warlock swung down with the bloodied dagger. He lunged at her, slashing and cutting at her as she stepped away, dodging each swipe, studying his movements.

Her mind was a buzz of thoughts and worries and fears, all jumbled together. It was as if each time she had the chance to perfectly lock down on this jerkwad of a guy, she would spot Dipper, barely moving, or Soos trying to pull himself free from his knot. The warlock, on top of it all, was desperately ferocious in his attacks: never relenting, never retreating, and never restraining.

It took a great deception on her part- a false move that distracted him one way while she moved another- to move in and twist his wrist aside. He gasped, instantly dropping the dagger. But she wasn't done. She landed three strong kicks into his core, kneeing his gut as hard as she could. He gasped as she pushed him away, falling to the ground while trying to stand up.

"Time to take a risk!" he shouted to himself, cradling his stomach. He suddenly bit down hard on his hand, causing Mabel to pause and groan. He had bitten hard enough to draw blood, and his eyes then shone again, the same orange color. He did not float this time, instead, facing Mabel as she slowly advanced, uncertain to what he had just done, aside from bite his hand.

She feigned a punch to one side, and struck the other. Like he knew exactly what her thoughts were, he anticipated, and blocked, and stuck her own face, smashing a fist against her cheek. Mabel gasped, turning away briefly. In the momentary cradling of her cheek, the warlock landed a strong kick on her back, shoving her against his table of ingredients. Mabel gasped, and turned, scowling at the man with glowing orange eyes.

"You won't get a hit on me again," the warlock told her confidently, "I hear your own th-thoughts like they were being written above your head."

Mabel growled, and stepped closer again, throwing more punches and deceptive strikes. Each time it amounted to nothing. Truly the warlock wasn't lying, because it was harder and harder to fight him; he predicted and reacted to each move she made regardless of her intent behind them. She grew frustrated and tired, physically worn with the many retaliations he had done to her. She couldn't stop, not with everyone's lives at stake.

A yell called behind the Warlock, who turned too late. Dipper had removed the last ropes and charged at the man with his back turned. Dipper wrapped two hands around him, holding his arms behind his back as they fell to the stony ground. Mabel ran closer, and tried peeling Dipper off of his assault on the warlock, who had furiously began to hit Dipper back.

After a moment of struggle, the Warlock stood and backed away, one of his eyes bruised. He gasped as much as the other two, his body heavy as he glared to them. His eyes flickered with orange light, his spell wearing out.

"You two... you don't know what kind of c-can of worms you just opened up," the warlock warned them, moving away from them. They countered his movements, following him as he back tracked to his stuff. They approached, and he whipped a hand towards Soos. "NO CLOSER!" he shouted angrily. They whipped their heads to Soos, who gasped as the chains grew taught.

"Stop! You're hurting him!" Mabel cried out, "You could kill him!"

"Better him th-than me," the warlock growled, "now, stay put, and nothing bad will happen to him."

The twins looked to Soos, who's wide eyes pleaded desperately for help as he gasped for air. There was nothing that could be done, not without possibly hurting their friend. The Warlock laughed, picking up his second backpack, filled with books he had collected and stolen, stepping backwards, his hand still at Soos.

"Now, next time, you won't stand in the way of a warlock, will you?" he warned them with a grin, and he made a motion with his hand. Dipper was, to Mabel's surprise, the first to react, and charged. The Warlock gasped, and his hand fell from Soos as he tried defending a huge uppercut from Dipper. The attack missed by a mile, but the Warlock had taken a wrong step.

"Uh, uh, uh!" the warlock gasped again and again, his arms waving wildly with the backpacks in his grip. He was stumbling back, and headed right for the massive pipe that was open, just above ground level. The back of his heel caught it, and he fell backwards. The man forgot the care about the packs, letting them fall back into the darkness as he extended his arms to catch either sides of the hole. "H-h-help me! Oh! I'm slipping!"

Mabel and Dipper hadn't even paid attention to his peril. They had run to Soos, and pried away the enchanted chains, which fell aside after the warlock fell to his doom, holding on for dear life. The three found their dangerous opponent barely holding on, and they shared a look.

"You know," Soos said, rubbing his stomach, which had been considerably squeezed in his containment, "I usually don't like the idea of abandonment with anyone, but this guy could be my candidate for the exception."

"I agree," Mabel nodded with a curt nod. "Dipper?" she asked to her brother, who stared at him angrily.

"You," Dipper growled, and approached. The warlock looked like he had back in the library- out of place and terrified, and Dipper continued, "so, you throw bodies down this drain, do you?"

"I-I-I-I just- It was a joke! I wanted to scare you!" the warlock was able to blurt out rapidly, his head shaking visibly in fear and the strain of keeping himself up," I'm sorry! I have a mission that was important! I need to discover the energy source or else-"

"You would have willingly killed me," Dipper told him with a deadly calm voice and the warlock stared fearfully at Dipper, "for this mission of yours."

The warlock had nothing to say to this. He opened and closed his mouth desperately, trying to speak, yet nothing but guttural sounds were made until one of his hands slipped. He slammed to one side of the pipe, still managing to hold on with his fingers. His feet slid on the interior, slimy and unclean, trying to push himself out. Dipper watched, his eyes lazily taking in the view. A man like this could go from domineering and cruel to helpless and pathetic from a simple trip of his feet.

"I won't stop!" the warlock suddenly told him, "I'll come back!"

"Yeah? We'll be waiting," Dipper assured him, and turned away. He didn't need to see the man as his fingers slipped and he fell into the endless darkness, shouting all the way down. He finally stopped in front of Mabel and Soos, tears in his eyes. "Should I have helped him?" Mabel rushed forward, grabbing her brother in a sweeping hug. They held one other tightly, reminding each other that they were finally there for each other.

* * *

><p>"You kids could have been killed for crying out loud!" Grunkle Stan roared in the kitchen, leaning on the table as he stared at Dipper, the worse looking of the three to return.<p>

Dipper didn't look to his Grand Uncle, instead watching the wrapping going around his arm from Wendy, who was quick to have medical supplies when Soos texted her as they left the secret cave. Mabel sat next to them, inspecting each measure Wendy took to wrap and clean the wounds.

"To be fair, this guy was nut-so, mister Pines," Soos told him, washing his hands in the sink, "it sounded like he was willing to hurt anyone. He could have gone after anyone!"

"He said he did," Dipper said quietly, "like he was proud of it or something."

"Didn't he say he was just lying?" Mabel asked.

"I don't know anymore," Dipper admitted, sighing deeply. He looked to the redhead, who was staring intently at her handiwork, "Thanks, Wendy."

"How does it feel?" she asked. He gave his arm a slow stretch. She had stitched, cleaned, and wrapped his entire cut like an expert. He actually smiled, shocked that his arm could feel as normal as it did.

"Great," he told her with a great grin, "man. You should be a doctor." Dipper chuckled with Mabel, and looked to the redhead. She seemed distant, a half smile on her lips as she lightly laughed with the two.

"Just don't do anything crazy for a few days. We can take those stitches out sooner than later," She winked at Dipper and stood up from her kneel, collecting her medical supplies as she left for the gift shop.

"Did I not tell you two to be careful around these kinds of people?!" Grunkle Stan rounded the table, facing Dipper directly, "what exactly should I tell your parents next time you go off like that and you come back in pieces?!"

"Grunkle Stan!" Mabel scolded him, "we are capable young fighters! We beat some jerk today who was using telekinesis and stuff!"

Dipper said nothing, staring at the floor with red cheeks. It hadn't crossed his mind once, during the entire ordeal, what would have happened had he died. He felt very warm in the face, and lowered himself in a shamed bow, sitting his face into a hand. Grunkle Stan sighed, and pulled out a chair, sitting next to the teenager.

"At least you won," Grunkle Stan admitted, "you got that to brag about, right?"

"We made another enemy today," Dipper stated darkly, looking to the floor.

"That's life, Dipper," Grunkle Stan wrapped one of his large, muscular arms around his grand-nephew, "you make some friends, and if you're anything like me, a hundred million more enemies. That's why we don't give up, ever. Right?"

Dipper finally let himself up, looking to his Grunkle. There was an approving stare coming from the elderly man. It was something Dipper rarely saw from his great uncle for anything, let alone directed at him. He may have done the stupid teenager risky maneuver, but it may have been worth getting that look from his Grunkle Stan.

"Thanks," Dipper sighed timidly.

"Don't mention it," Grunkle Stan told him with a firm pat on the back, "Seriously, don't. I don't want people thinking I go soft on anything. That includes you too, kiddo," Grunkle Stan rounded on Mabel, who pushed the side of his head back, and he chuckled. "Well, now that I have my handyman back, time to get cracking. Soos!" Grunkle Stan called, forgetting Soos was busy washing himself off by the sink.

"Yo!" Soos replied, having Stan nearly twirling around to face him.

"Oh! Uh, dry off and come with me. I think we left a few things loose on the stairs. We don't need any lawsuits, you know?" Grunkle Stan told him as the two departed.

"Ah, the feeling of accomplishment," Mabel said and smiled as she stood from her seat. Dipper gave her a tired smile, faded and worn, one covering up a lot of guilt. "What? Dipper, I know that look. What is it?" she asked him as he tried standing, making for the side door that lead outside.

"I... it's nothing," he admitted shyly.

"Psh! Yeah right!" Mabel retorted, following her brother outside, still lively and animated enough to bound ahead and walk backwards, facing him as he moved from the shack.

"It's just," Dipper rolled his eyes, "oh, I'm- ugh- I'm just mad."

"What for? We won, ya dummy!" Mabel reminded him with a big grin.

"I know... but I was stupid," Dipper said, sitting down in the grass, and letting himself lie down, staring at the still blue skies above, "I was just stupid, letting myself get messed up like that."

Mabel watched him, and decided to sit as well, dropping herself carefully down next to him. She watched him study the clouds, and the reflection brought her to also lie down, staring up at the sky.

"I wanted to prove," Dipper suddenly said, as if he had been piecing together a starting explanation to his actions, "I... that I could, you know, do this without needing any help."

"Prove to who?" Mabel turned from her spot, staring at him.

"You and Grunkle Stan, I guess," Dipper mumbled apologetically. Mabel gasped, and slapped his shoulder. "Ow! What!?"

"Why'd you think you need to prove yourself with us?" she asked, and before he could answer, she knew what he was going to say, "it's because we tease you? Dipper-"

"I know!" he called to the heavens, exhausted, clearly having gone through this discussion in his head, "It was just teasing! I shouldn't be taking it so seriously! I know!"

"Then why did you?" Mabel asked quietly.

"I don't know. I just wanted to remind myself that I could do that sort of thing, prove you two wrong," Dipper tried explaining aloud, "maybe I believed it first, and you guys just started... reminding me that."

Mabel sat next to him, looking at the blue skies and occasional white clouds that wisped away beyond the trees. Her mind reminded her that this wasn't her fault, as she believed. Yet, as was fated with her kinship with Dipper, she would feel guilty regardless how silly he had been. She had inadvertently pressured him into doing something stupid.

"You know," Mabel started, trying a new train of thought, "If you'd like, I could show you a thing or two about my stuff."

"Huh?"

"The Paths?" Mabel clarified, "you know, see if you really like it? I know I make it look like a totally crazy thing, but there's room for a dorky, thinks-too-much-about-his-actions, nerdy kind of guy in the training."

"You want to show me martial arts?" Dipper asked again, staring at his sister with a small, uncertain grin, "are you sure that's even allowed for your level of training, or whatever?"

"No idea," Mabel shrugged, "My master hasn't even considered the possibility I think. Otherwise, she'd try to tell me not to, or if I could."

"Probably because she thinks you'd want to brag and show it off as much as possible," Dipper told her with the faintest of smiles.

"Shut up, you," Mabel told him while sticking out her tongue. "So, whadda ya say, bro-man?"

Dipper finally rolled himself to sit upwards, staring into the dark woods before him. He had seen so much of what awaited deep inside those woods. He wondered what else would be out there, waiting for him and his sister. His injured arm gave a small twinge of pain, and he gave it a look. He didn't want injures like this every time they went out exploring and solving mysteries. Dipper grinned, knowing exactly what he wanted.

* * *

><p>WHOO. What a doozy.<p>

So, I want to re-iterate that this is not the standard level of light/dark that this series is going to have. This is maybe the darkest point of the story, so if you tolerated (or enjoyed) that, you'll like the rest of this. And yes, the Warlock we saw this day is not exactly done mucking around Gravity Falls.

So, before I go today, I wanted to thank you all. I have had a TON of positive reactions and encouraging remarks about this story so far, and you all have made me want to go further and further each chapter. So, thank you all. We're just getting started and I already feel like I've accomplished something for you all.

Anyhow, Seeya- (A giant lolipop the size of a truck slams through the roof of EZB's dorm, crushing him under it's weight and destroying the desk.)

Lollipop: There you go, children, now the story isn't as dark anymore.

Unseen Audience Entirely Comprised of Children: YAY!


	8. A Mabel of Perspective: Part 1

The town of Gravity Falls was known for few things. To the rest of Oregon, it was simply a logging town with few inhabitants. The unusual case of anyone else knowing of the small town was because they knew someone who lived there, not for a known interesting fact about the town itself. So it sat deep in the wilderness, quite content to be left alone by the rest of America. Being isolated from the hustle and bustle of modern city life meant this town was very much intact with the wilderness. 'Being in touch' usually meant chopping down wilderness, hunting wilderness, or poking wilderness with a stick, but still; they at least knew what it was like to live by the mountains.

Despite the simple nature of the people, backwater or up-to-date, at the lands around the small town were timeless and beautiful. The town was surrounded by steep cliffs and beautiful mountain ranges that would easily bring a seasoned adventurer a run for their money. That was, unless you belonged to a particular local family who thrived off of challenge of physical pursuit. One of these members of this family peddled her way down a gravel-laden road through the woods, her long red hair flowing behind her from under a safety helmet.

Wendy Corduroy rode her bike to work every day, regardless of the many steep hills and inclines that were abundant through the town. The unobservant eye would never have guessed the physical capabilities of the eighteen year old, as she was particularly skinny. She had surprised her peers with more than a handful of her skills. Humming to herself as she turned a bend in the road, she finally found herself in eyesight of the Mystery Manor.

Wendy let her bike slow itself, eventually coming to a stop by using the remaining momentum alone, and parked it by the side of the building. Her single sling style pack swayed as she parked the bike, having picked up the papers and magazines from the end of the long driveway of the Mystery Manor. Giving them a quick glance a she hopped off her ride, she turned and made for the entrance. Her boots hit the wood floor softly as she pushed the door aside.

"Mister Pines!" Wendy called into the building, pulling the pack off her shoulders and tossing it lazily to the side of the counter, "I'm here."

"Hi Wendy!" a young girls voice answered instead of her boss.

"Sup, Mabel," Wendy called as she took her sentry's position. The girl in question walked out into the gift shop, holding in her arms a cardboard box with, from what Wendy could tell, a whole lot of arts and craft supplies. "Starting a new project?"

"Yeah! Do you have any old magazines?" Mabel asked as she took her box to the opposite side of the room, and Wendy pointed to a thin metal tray where outdated magazines and newspapers were laid to rest, "I'm going to spruce up mine and Dipper's door!"

"I'm sure he's excited," Wendy smirked as she pulled out the newest paper from her own bag.

"He's not in the loop yet," Mabel mirrored her smile, devious and excited, "he's still asleep, the bum-head."

"A lucky kid," a weary, creaky voice stated as a tired looking old man walked into the shop. Grunkle Stan walked out, scratching and massaging his back, and in walked the owner of the Mystery Manor, "Hey Wendy. Soos in here?" Grunkle Stan asked as he paused, adjusting his glasses to better rub his eyes.

"Haven't seen him," Wendy shrugged.

"He's eluding your keen senses?" Mabel said in mock awe to her Grunkle, "Stanley Pines! How can this be?"

"Morning is no time for strong senses, except that of pain and misery," Grunkle Stan said, and then cleared his throat, "SOOS!" he bellowed, extending his hand to his mouth as he called.

Directly above the room, there was a sudden gasp, a crash with the sounds of breaking wood, and a portion of the ceiling broke through. Soos's head popped out, staring blankly before him, probably from shock. The three stared back, uncertain as to what exactly had just transpired.

"I found the weak spot on the ceiling we were worried about," Soos said to his boss, turning his head as best he could to look at Stan.

"And you've already started renovations," Stan told him with an air of ease, un-phased with the partial destruction of his building, "you're going to fix all that, right?"

"You bet! Once I figure out how to pull himself out of the hole... uh... I got it," Soos mumbled, trying to wiggle his way with his head, "Or I may be stuck. I think I might be stuck. I am definitely stuck."

Wendy chuckled as Stan moved up, trying to place a hand on Soos's forehead, in attempts to push him back up and out. Wendy lowered herself onto the stool behind her, and opened the newspaper with a flick. To her surprise, there was actually something worth talking about, and not a lot of boring over-exaggeration of local events.

"Hey, Mister Pines," Wendy called to Stan, "check this out," she started reading the headline title out loud, "String of robberies heading for Gravity Falls; locals warned to keep an eye out."

"A string of what?" Stan gave up trying to help Soos, who watched with interest as Grunkle Stan moved to the counter, looking at the magazine, and also read aloud, "a syndicate gang known as 'The Five Freaky Friends', yeesh," Stan leaned away, displeased with the name, "couldn't have thought of anything else?" he continued on the paper, "have been robbing convenience stores and mom-and-pop shops, and are currently expected to make a pass at Gravity Falls very soon. Owners of businesses are encouraged to stay safe and not open business to anyone who would appear dangerous or look like they've spent time behind bars'."

"I guess that means you're not shopping for anything this week," Wendy joked with her boss, who gave her a glare, "unless you want to be pointed away like the hard-timer you are."

"Yeah, funny. And like we should be scared of anyone with the name 'five freaky friends'. I've heard kids shows with scarier names than that!" Grunkle Stan rolled his eyes as he walked away from the counter.

"What about the local authorities?" the sleepy voice of Dipper floated in, dressed and entirely groggy looking with his bags under his eyes particularly visible.

"What? The cops here?" Wendy scoffed at the young teen, "You might as well just tell these guys to stop on by the Mystery Manor for free merchandise if you think those guys have a chance at stopping those thieves."

"That sounds... uh, Soos?" Dipper had only just realized that his friend's head was sticking through the ceiling, looking at him with a happy grin.

"Sup dude," Soos said back.

"Do you need help getting down? Or up? Out?" Dipper tried asking, uncertain of the action to take.

"Don't worry about him, he's fine," Grunkle Stan assured Dipper with a lazy wave of his hand over his shoulder, "getting out of tough situations is just what he does." On cue, Soos crashed through the roof and landed behind Stan with a loud thud. "See? Nice and easy."

"Wow. Surprisingly not hurt," Soos said from the floor, laying on his back, "I can't feel my fingers, but at least I don't feel any pain."

"So, what's with all that talk about robbers?" Dipper asked as he held a hand out for Soos, and aided in his return to proper standing position.

"Some gang is going to drive through Gravity Falls supposedly," Wendy repeated, "but this is also the Gravity Falls Gossiper. You can never be sure with Toby."

"Should we maybe, I don't know, be on lookout for suspicious looking people then?" Dipper asked his Gran Uncle, who scoffed.

"Be my guest; go ahead and stand outside all day and night in case someone decides that the gift shop to a tourist trap is the perfect place to made a fortune in thefts," Grunkle Stan said as he walked out of the room, heading for the kitchen, "Soos, get to that ceiling- we don't need another nest of screech owls living in the building."

"Yes sir!" Soos saluted, "Thanks for the assist, bud," Soos told Dipper as he turned and wobbled his way out of the gift shop, casually trying to steady his walk as he stumbled through the door.

"Dipper! You should help with the door decorations I'm making," Mabel called to her brother from the floor, "It's going to perfectly represent our personalities with the use of messages that look like ransom notes and lots of glitter!"

"Uh," Dipper turned, busy while scratching his arm, "I'm not much of a crafts person, you know that. Why does our door need this stuff?" Dipper asked as Mabel shrugged and began to feverishly cut out words and letters.

"That way no one mistakes our room for anything else," Mabel assured him. Dipper stared down at her, his mind trying to better understand the possibility of anyone mistaking their room for anything other than 'their room', especially since the only other person living with them was Grunkle Stan, who barely traversed up the stairs. It was a harmless project at least, he considered to himself as she happily cut out words and letters per her desire. Dipper sighed, and grunted as he scratched the wrappings around his arm.

"Dude," Wendy said to Dipper, "no scratching."

"Okay, fine," Dipper lowered his arm in mild shame, "It just feels like my skin is crawling."

"It's the curse of stitches, man," Wendy said with authority, "you want your skin to be all nice and healed after we take them out? Can't be scratching at them dude, even through the bandage."

"I gotcha," Dipper nodded, and peered through the hole above him. Soos had finally re-emerged on the roof, looking through it with thoughtful stare. Dipper let his itching arm fidget, and found itself touching the blue cylinder in his pocket. He had come to start holding the blue cylinder closer to him since last night, and so he pulled it out and examined it.

"So, no idea what it is still?" Wendy asked as Dipper looked at the mysterious object.

"Library had nothing, and after the craziness yesterday, I didn't get much chance to do anything but rest," Dipper admitted with mild distress, "but we think it can act as a two-way communicator."

"Huh?" Wendy asked as she lowered the newspaper, "how'd you figure that one out?"

"Dipper's voice came out of the other one," Mabel explained while cutting out a particularly large section of the page, "and he heard us through the other glowy-thingy."

"Not just me though. Soos heard it as well, and so did the warlock. He thought I was doing something to mess with him," Dipper added, putting the object on the counter for Wendy to look at it. She leaned forward, her eyes squinting as she scrutinized its surface.

"That's some weird little... thing you've found, then," Wendy said as she nodded cautiously. Dipper lifted the small object back into his hands, giving it a spin through his fingers. His arm began to itch once again, and it was only the curiosity of the object before him that stayed his hand. Dipper sighed, letting it slide back into his pocket. Looking at it without any clue to its origins or purpose only drove him to crazed frustration. His eyes found Mabel on the floor, still cutting out pieces. Mabel snickered as she began cutting out a section of bolded letters.

"I am going to get some great use from you guys," Mabel smiled deviously as she collected the letters into her crate.

"Hey Mabel," Dipper started, turning to her fully, "can I take you on your word now?"

"Huh?" Mabel crooked her head to the side as she looked to her brother, "You want to speak plainly, good friend?"

"Teach me that stuff, you know?" Dipper asked, his voice quieter, "the, uh, martial arts stuff?"

"Oh!" Mabel gasped. She hadn't forgotten her promise entirely, but the prospect of decorating her door had taken her mind completely away from that. "Yeah bro! Let me wrap this up, and then we can get started."

"Well, it's nice outside right now," Dipper pointed out with a grin, looking to the wilderness, "great day be outside, showing your brother how to be awesome..."

Mabel paused half way through the incision of a face on a commercial for pasted fake-eyebrows. Her brother was throwing a lot of bait for her. It was one thing to acknowledge Mabel's talent in something pleasantly, and another thing to remind her of the glories of outdoor activity. It was entirely different when he sounded excited about it all. This was an opportunity she couldn't pass up on, and she sighed, pained as she looked up at him.

"Just let me finish this one little thing, okay?" she begged, and Dipper sighed.

"WHOA!" Another loud crash later, and Soos's head once again popped through a new hole in the ceiling, this time a few feet further inside the building. He gave them the same surprised stare he had earlier as they looked back. "I'm like a reverse ground-hog," Soos commented.

"On second thought, maybe arts and craft can wait until the roof is safe," Mabel admitted as she eyed Soos. She collected the remains of her project and shifted them to the side of the room, where they would be hopefully safe. Soos crashed through once again, landing as hard as he did previously, but stood up, dusted himself off, and marched back outside.

Several minutes later, Dipper and Mabel emerged from the building, clothed for a fitness workout. T-shirt and sweatpants on, Dipper looked to his much more impressive looking sister, adorned with her martial arts robe and colored belt. They approached the grass, where Mabel stopped, and took a long breath in.

"Well, I hate to tell you Dipper," Mabel started as she thought aloud, "I can't get into the form and more impressive stuff until your arm is better."

"I figured as much," Dipper sighed, rubbing the bandage absentmindedly.

"Stoppit," she pointed to the bandage, and he growled at himself as he lowered his arms, "so, instead, we're just going to skip ahead to the more thoughtful stuff the Paths works on."

"Huh? I thought you said-"

"That you can't fight, yeah," Mabel clarified, "So instead, I'm going to show you the secret to the Paths. The secrets of meditation," Mabel wove her arms to her sides and above her, painting a massive imaginary picture to impress Dipper. He merely stared at her with uncertainty. "That's supposed to sound really, just, way too cool, by the way," she informed him.

"Right. So, what's the secret?" Dipper said, hands by his side as he looked to his sister expectantly.

"We should find an quiet spot first," Mabel decided, peering into the woods, "that way when Soos busts out the power drills, they won't distract us."

With a curt nod, Dipper followed Mabel into the woods. Some hundred feet later, Mabel stopped. They were in a clearing just by the forest edge. Still able to spot the Mystery Manor at distance, Mabel sighed, breathing in the wonderful air around her.

"This will do," she grinned as she plopped down suddenly into a cross-legged sit. "Sit, young grasshopper." Dipper sat with an amused smile, and mirrored her, crossing his legs slightly underneath his knees. "Now, there's three parts to this trick. First, take a nice deep breath, and close your eyes."

"Sure," Dipper nodded, and he took a breath in and out. Mabel watched him carefully and scoffed, "What? What?"

"You're not breathing right!" she scolded him.

"Uh... I'm not sure I understand the criticism. How does anyone not 'breathe right'? You just take a breath in, and then back out," Dipper defended himself.

"It's where the breath comes from," Mabel poked his belly, "there. Your gut!"

"That's not where my lungs are," Dipper stated in a disapproving tone. Mabel poked him again, harder, "Ow!"

"No, but it's where your diaphragm is!" Mabel smirked as Dipper blinked, taken off guard by her knowledge. "Betcha didn't think I knew that, didja oh-so-ready-to-criticize-his-sister, brother o' mine?"

"Okay, you got me," Dipper rolled his eyes and nodded, "I won't second guess you. So, from the gut?"

"Like... lie on your back for a second," Mabel pushed her brother back, who landed on the sparse grass with an 'oof', but laid there willingly, "Now breathe normally," she told him from her seat. He followed suit, and his eyes went wide. He had left his hands onto his stomach, and indeed he could feel a difference in his breathing. "See? Like that, but now sit up, dork."

"I think it's against the rules to call your apprentice dorks," Dipper scolded her as he stood up, eyeing her with amused skepticism. Mabel had actually gone red though, and Dipper smiled in a bit of shock. "What?"

"I guess you are my apprentice, aren't you?" she asked with a tiny wiggly smile, "Man, that is like, so cool, you don't even know."

"Okay. Breaths," Dipper checked his breathing, and this time was given a nod of approval from Mabel, "good. Eyes, closed," Dipper closed his eyes, "check. What next?"

"Clear your mind of thoughts 'n stuff. It's okay if you're thinking about my instructions at first, though," Mabel added with a small chuckle.

"Okay... step three?" Dipper asked with his eyes closed.

"Now, here's the tricky part," Mabel admitted with an air of warning, "you have to feel a light in your head. Like a little spot deep inside your thoughts, but you can't think anything about it. You just have to sort of... experience it without a question."

"Uh... that's ridiculously vague," Dipper stated and opened his eyes, staring at his sister, "how do I know when I see that light?"

"Eyes closed!" Mabel swatted his head gently, and Dipper huffed as he closed his eyes again, "just try clearing your head for now."

"Fine, fine," Dipper nodded, and sat. He tried minding his thoughts, which was certainly a harder thing to do than he anticipated. Certainly possible in theory, but it was like his brain refused to be put at rest- he wanted to be considering ideas and exploring thoughts constantly. Then there was his own voice of consciousness, begging him to understand the point of any of this. His head wanted to understand and seek explanation more and more as he sat silently.

Mabel, on the other hand, had many months of this practice. She was more in control with her thoughts and ideas than what was expected of her at her age. Her master had found a very clever way of instructing Mabel to further her understanding of the meditative process. It wouldn't work on Dipper though, as the plan had been to sing songs together until you didn't need to think about their words, and there Mabel had found the feeling of solace needed for this. Now, she could access it easily when she sought to, at the flick of a mental switch.

The teenage girl could almost feel Dipper's growing frustration. His breaths grew closer together, and he lost his deeper breathing from his diaphragm. Eventually he sighed angrily, and she smirked. He had the same reaction she did when she started.

"Just take it easy bro-bro," she stated calmly, not opening her eyes, "you can't force this out like our mysteries and stuff."

"I know, I'll keep trying," Dipper said. Mabel felt him shake himself out, re-adjust, and try again.

Minutes passed as the two sat in the quiet clearing in the woods. Occasionally there would be the bird passing over, or a small animal cry in the woods far off in the distance, and each time Mabel caught Dipper peaking an eye out to spot it. This was certainly a good place to teach him though- as the din of the work going on at the Mystery Manor would have drowned any silence in their heads instantly. Mabel still didn't understand how her master could meditate with her windows open in the city.

Minutes after she had again caught him peeking his eyes open, she again felt him stir in just the right way to indicate he was looking at something.

"Dipper," she warned him, swatting his knee.

"Ugh, I know, I know!" Dipper growled, sounding like he was clutching his hat-less head and chunks of his hair, "but... ugh! This just feels like torture."

"Psh, baby. You just need to stop thinking about what _else_ you can be doing now, and let yourself go for a bit," Mabel explained. She didn't need to look at her brother to know he had just gaped at her.

"How... how did you-" Dipper started, but Mabel, still with her eyes closed, gave him a big bright gleaming smile. He chuckled as she leaned back. "One more time for me- oh... whoa. Hey Mabel," Dipper started.

"No distractions," Mabel told him, pushing his shoulder gently.

"No, seriously, Mabel," Dipper said with more strength, leaning closer to something away from the twins, "you should open your eyes."

"Dipper, I don't hear anything. If it doesn't look dangerous, leave it be," Mabel told him with authority, "back to meditating."

"Seriously- open your eyes! It's right in front of you! I think it's a fairy!" Dipper shouted as something light brushed against Mabels cheeks.

Mabel gasped and opened her eyes, and instantly regretted her sudden reaction. A small, bright fluffy ball of wondrous light was sucked down into Mabel's throat from her gasp. Her eyes shot open as she gagged, feeling the small puff stick somewhere in her neck, causing the most horrible inside-body itch she had felt in her entire life. Coughing and gagging while fanning her wide-open mouth, Mabel shot up, running in circles as she gripped her neck tightly, afraid the small thing would fall into her lungs.

"Mabel! Wait!" Dipper shouted as he tried following her as she ran desperately in circles.

Mabel's life was falling apart. Nothing could be more panic inducing than the feeling of something hypothetically alive, and fuzzy, and cute, all in the same package, wedged somewhere in her throat. She found a young tree, small enough to grasp the trunk with her hand tightly, and she began to smash her forehead into it, in hopes of popping the thing out.

"OH MY GOD! MABEL! STOP! YOU'RE GOING TO HURT YOURSELF!" Dipper screamed as he tried prying his sister from the tree as she smashed her head against it. She spun to him, hopping in place as her eyes shone with fear, gasping and fanning her mouth.

"I don't want to-" she started gasping with loud frog-like croaks, but then her fear came to light. She swallowed instinctively; her muscles contracting and pulling away that horrible itching feeling and replacing it with an almost worse feeling of emptiness and dread. She stood there, frozen in place, her eyes wide in fear and shame as she realized she had just committed something she would never have wanted to do in her life.

"We need to get back to the shack," Dipper said tensely, trying to remain calm. This was difficult as Mabels lips began trembling horribly.

'I... I... I..." she could manage, tears once again welling up in her face, "I'm a murderer..."

Mabel couldn't stop panicking the entire walk back to the shack, hugged tightly by her concerned brother. Her incoherent sentences tried begging for forgiveness and desperate pleas for death, as she couldn't live with the fact something as small and lovely as a fairy had lost its life to her. Dipper did his best, soothing her with the occasional brush of her hair, but it did little to nothing to calm her. She was convinced she deserved the hangman's noose.

When the two passed Wendy and Soos, who had made yet another hole in the ceiling, the two had come running to her attention, uncertain to what would cause her to cry in front of others. She could only manage out, "I deserve no friends! I am a terrible person!" and Dipper explained the situation bluntly. Stan didn't help either when he entered the scene in an attempt to sooth his grand-niece.

"Sweetie, everything will be fine. These sort of things happen," he said plainly, patting her shoulder gently, drawing from her a look of hope, but he continued, "I mean, they're mostly like bugs anyway. I wouldn't be surprised if there are nests of them actually; like people just accidentally run them over with lawnmowers and weed-whackers and-"

Mabel then charged up the stairs, a trail of tears following in her wake as she ran to her room. Dipper, who had given his Grunkle a look of incredible disbelief, ran after his sister, and found her, having changed lightning-fast into her most comfortable sweater and skirt, and had buried herself inside; deep, deep in sweater-town.

"Mabel," he started, uncertain how to calm her, as she still sniffled and hiccuped from inside her protective cocoon of woven cotton, "I know you're upset about this. It was an accident, though. You didn't mean to do it."

"Does that make it alright? Duh, No!" she cried out, letting one side of her body roll onto the bed, still tucked inside the large orange sweater, "this day, I am become death: the destroyer of Tinkerbell."

"You aren't destroying any worlds, Mabel," Dipper said, sitting on her bed, resting a hand on her side gently.

Mabel listened to her brother, feeling his support in her darkest hour of all existence. It touched her to know he wouldn't see her as a murderous psychopath, even after evidence to the contrary presented itself. Then, without warning, she felt a strong, overtly powerful heat in her chest.

"Ah!" she gasped, popping her head out of her sweater. It was the kind of feeling like she might gag. Dipper whipped his hand away as she sat up, watching her as she clutched her stomach.

"M-Mabel?" Dipper asked worriedly, "You going to be okay?"

Mabel couldn't answer. As soon as she opened her mouth to reply, an earth shaking belch followed, sparkles actually flying out of her mouth as she burped. After emitting possibly the manliest burp the entire history of the Mystery Shack turned Manor, Mabel clapped her hands to her mouth. Her eyes slowly grew wide and she turned to her brother just as slowly. Dipper was trying as hard as he had ever in his entire life to not start bursting out laughing, considering his sister nearly could have tossed someone off their feet with that burp.

"You- you good?" Dipper tried, forcing a smile away poorly with a furrowed brow. Mabel looked to him, disapproval in his clear amusement etched in her entire being.

"That wasn't funny," she shoved him with a push, and pushed herself against the back of the bed. With a sigh, she closed her eyes, "Well, I guess it's time I just start adjusting to the lifestyle of a criminal."

"Oh shut up," Dipper told her as she rested her tired eyes, "my sister isn't a criminal. She's weird and unpredictable, but not an evil monster like she thinks she is."

"Yeah? Weird am I?" Mabel said, opening her eyes and turning to smack her brother.

Mabel's mind did a huge double take. She felt the bed beneath her back, the sheets on her fingers, the rough wood behind her head- she knew she hadn't moved. But what she saw was not from inside her room. She was suddenly walking down Gravity Falls main street, peering across a street to a laundry mat. Mabel screamed, and closed her eyes as she flailed wildly. Suddenly she felt the pull of gravity change and she landed against wooden floor.

"WHAT?!" Dipper leapt off the bed and ran to her side, crumpled on the floor. Mabel opened her eyes, and looked around in panic. She stopped flailing as she spotted Dipper, but her eyes still scanned the room wildly. She was looking at the 'correct' place this time.

"I, uh, Dipper," Mabel said, shaking as she looked around, "I think I just looked into someone else's noggin."

"What?" Dipper gasped, holding her face to his for inspection, "What do you mean?"

"I closed my eyes, and when I opened them, I was looking at a street in town!" Mabel shouted in fear, "What... how... why!?" she yelled to the roof as Dipper stood up, and scrambled for his old journal, adorned with the golden sigil on the front. "Is this your way of punishing me!?" Mabel shook her hand to the spirits above her.

"Mabel, calm down," Dipper told her firmly, "I think there may be an explanation about this!"

"Yeah!" It's called going EVIL!" Mabel shouted at her brother, and blinked again, not giving it another thought. "BWAAH!" Without warning, she was looking through someone who was literally chewing on an entire steak, without use of silverware, plates, or a table. She was in shock just long enough to spy the large red bushy beard beneath the persons face before she blinked again, and she found herself seeing into her bedroom. "It happened agaaaain!"

"Mabel, look here!" Dipper flipped through several pages, and found one in particular, "It's about Fairies, and more importantly, pixies!"

"Pixies?" Mabel asked, walking over to his bed, and peering over the book to a pair of pages, illustrating the effects and abilities of the small winged humanoids known as the Fairy.

"While the fairy are animated and a powerful life force that act in unpredictable ways, through research I have determined that the Pixie is not a cousin of the Fairy, as was originally thought, but, in fact the Faes' young," Dipper read from the journal. "They are created by fairies gathering positive energies and binding them into a small seed, like that of plants, and when the parents choose, enchanting that seed with life. Until that point, they are not alive, but exhibit strong magical properties not entirely recordable."

"I ATE A BABY FAIRY!?" Mabel shrieked at this information, "DEATH! I WILL TAKE DEATH AND DISHONOR!"

"Mabel! Relax! It says that ingestion of a pixie results in uncontrollable levitation," Dipper paraphrased from the journal, "but if it gets stuck inside the throat, strange sense-changes can happen. You're not floating, so that means its still okay!"

"Wait... so it's okay?" Mabel gasped, and again blinked. "Whoa," Mabel grinned, peering through yet another set of eyes.

"Uh... so you're seeing something else?" Dipper asked as he stared at his sister, who grinned.

"Oh, it's that funny skinny man," Mabel stated, "who's really into fashion? Likes seeing a good fight? Cute biker dude."

"Tyler?" Dipper clarified.

Mabel snickered. The shock had clearly worn off from her. Maybe it was the news that she hadn't killed the innocent creature, or maybe that it was Tyler dancing in front of a mirror to a clearly active beat, practicing moves that Mabel made note to steal for herself, while wearing a black leotard. She laughed at a particularly daring drop and spin, and she blinked. When she opened her eyes, she sighed in disappointment to be back at the Mystery Shack.

"This... could have been worse I guess," Dipper stated as Mabel wiped away tears from her face. "I mean, all you have to do is blink again and your own vision comes back, right?"

Mabel gave his comment some consideration as she stood off his bed. This wasn't just lucking out big-time, this was an opportunity. Sure, having to switch between 'other-people' vision and her own could be tiresome, but then again, she could now see what people were looking at.

"Bro, I totally need to test this thing out," Mabel grinned as she looked back to her brother.

With a brief goodbye to the others in the Mystery Manor, the three took Dipper's car and headed straight for the town. A plan was established; Mabel would blink deliberately and memorize what the person was doing, looking for a specific detail to remember, and Dipper would write the time for reference. Their first target was to return to the Gravity Falls funeral home, to Tallman Harker, the caretaker of the building. They approached him and offered a bargain. Mabel would try to guess what he had been doing recently, with the bet of five dollars. The width of Tallman's eyes could not be larger when she guessed correctly; examining the latest issue of Morgue and Mortuary Monthly. Many more were to befall Mabels' new talent, peering into the eyes of those she deemed gullible to not assume they were spying on them.

"Forty five bucks!" Mabel jogged in place excitedly as she clutched her collection of five dollar bills, "we're so getting good food later!"

"I'm not really sure that using this anymore to rip people off their cash is a good idea," Dipper added, despite smiling at his sister's excitement, "this was sort of Gideon's track record, remember?" Mabel swatted the top of his cap while blowing a raspberry.

"Shush, unbeliever!" Mabel told her brother with the command of a true queen, "the great, all seeing Mabel has declared that we shall no longer use such powers except for that of the good of all."

"Great, because that farmer we ripped off is still staring at us weirdly, and I don't think we need any more of that," Dipper pointed with his thumb over his shoulder. The two turned around, and indeed a farmer was clutching a power-line pole while partially hiding behind it. He glared at the two, his eyelids almost sealed as he gazed suspiciously at Mabel.

"I will find your secrets," the man's barely audible voice reached them.

"Eh. Wouldn't be the first time people thought I was a witch. Shoo!" Mabel shrugged and called to the man, who yelped and ran off. "See? No biggie," Mabel added and winked at her brother. She hadn't considered the chance of multiple-perspectives with her eyesight before, and her brain was certainly not ready for the sensation. "UGH. That hurts," she clutched her head as one side of her vision was that of a map of some sorts on a dark table, while the other stared at Dipper's shoes while she tried processing what she was experiencing.

Yet, as she let her 'extra-perception' stare into someone else's life, she noticed something. The map was of Gravity falls, and it was marked in red circles and dots. There were hastily drawn scribbles of some sort of plans around the edges of the map. She closed her right eye and finally let her brain take in the entire view from the other person. This was a plan of some sort.

"Dipper... we need to write something down," Mabel said, reaching out blindly before her, trying to grab her brother's shoulder.

"Huh? What do you see?" Dipper asked curiously, "I thought we were done scamming people."

"This isn't about scamming silly people," Mabel stated hurriedly, trying to read the plans she saw out loud, "I can see stuff like 'wait until closing ours, take back entrance' and 'bring heavy duty lock-breaks'. Dipper, I think I can see a plan to rob Gravity Falls shops!"

"Okay, in the car," Dipper said, pulling her over to his car, and seating her inside, as she dared not to blink. As he sat behind the wheel and closed the door, she could hear him scramble for the papers they used to scam people, and scribble out unneeded information. "Tell me what you see, everything you can."

Mabel had seen enough for a detailed report. The people planning to rob shops in Gravity Falls were going to operate one day after another, bouncing around town seemingly unpredictably to hit shops that differed in the amount of goods that could be stolen. Supposedly, as she saw others around the map, these people would hit one shop alone, at a predetermined time, to ensure absolute success. She had seen enough, and closed her eyes finally after successfully announcing she just spied on the entire group of the Five Freaky Friends.

"Mabel, we need to take this to the cops!" Dipper told her when she finally blinked, her eyes growing red from staring at the roof of the car too long.

"But I thought Wendy said they'd just end up getting hurt or stuff," Mabel tried recalling while rubbing her eyes gingerly.

"If they tried doing it alone, maybe," Dipper said, turning around in his seat to look at her, "but with this information, they may be able grab them all, one by one!"

"I'd think they'd change their plan as soon as one of them got caught," Mabel pointed out, finally opening her eyes to look around, "ah, and the world makes sense again."

"Don't you think it's worth it to try?" Dipper asked. Mabel gave him a thoughtful look. They had dealt with monsters in their lives before. Heck, just two days ago they ran face-to-face with the Shapeshifter in a near life and death scenario. Yet it was people who were among the scariest things to deal with. Humans didn't have a crazy over-the-top weakness like light or heat or itching powder- they could be smart or strong or fast and could do anything that Dipper and Mabel could. Getting involved with other humans in this sort of experience was risky.

Yet Mabel could feel her conscious calling for justice. She may not have eaten that pixie like she thought, but at least she could use this situation for good.

"Okay, pardner; to the sheriffs," Mabel spoke her best southern cowboy and nodded to her brother as she closed her eyes. When she opened them, she was shocked to find her vision still in the car, but looking ahead to the road. "WOAH! Dipper, turn and look at me!" Mabel gasped and flapped her hands excitedly. She felt Dipper blink, and saw him slowly turn his face to look at her. Her vision beheld her image and she couldn't help but smile. "Aw, I look wonderful. This is so much better than a mirror."

The drive to the police station was to be a quick one. Dipper had more difficulty than he had anticipated, as Mabel quickly made it a sport to identify the mistakes Dipper made while driving, regardless how minute or unimportant they were. She would cackle jestingly to his exaggeration reactions, reminding him that it was in his best interests to take her advice. "Not every day you get to have someone tell you what you're missing from your own perspective, is it?" Dipper then gave his sister a snide remark to her own skills at driving. As usual, the retort just bounced right back off her impenetrable sense of humor.

Then they arrived to the police station. The small offices of the Gravity Falls Police Department were cramped but homey feeling, as each of the unimpressive officers in the town had made their best efforts at relaxing as much as possible at work. The siblings passed a giant inflatable bouncy castle by the front door, blocking half the entrance. Mabel was terribly tempted to leap in when walking around it, and wouldn't leave until given a single chance to hop around. Dipper resorted to pulling her arm away, but she resisted- dragging him back to try jumping on it.

"Just once!" she begged as she yanked him closer. Dipper was persistent, and tugged back. "Oh come on! It's a police sponsored bouncy castle! Cmon? It's all mythical and stuff too!"

"Its monster movie themed, okay?" Dipper corrected her as she continued the struggle. "Can we go?"

"That's super-movie monster themed bouncy castle, to you," a voice with a country twang informed them. Dipper turned with Mabel, who was still letting her sight jump between individuals and therefore practically blind in the moment. Deputy Durland stepped out, his hands at his hips as he gave the two a stern look. "Nothing but the _best_ monsters on that beauty. Now, what are you two doing here- aside from oglin' our great use of state funding?"

"That gang that's supposed to come by Gravity Falls," Dipper started quickly, hoping to issue a sense of urgency, "my sister and I know they're going to hit a shop tonight."

"Yeah! It's going to be... uh," Mabel checked the notes she and her brother wrote down, "at the Hot-Grip Professional Weights Gym!" Mabel announced, reading off the list of posed targets. "Man, who wants to rob a gym anyway? Aren't there scary people working in gyms?"

"It's after dark, so it's closed and no ones inside," Dipper pointed out, lazily pointing to the note next to it, and Mabel gave a small 'ah'. "But yeah. These people are going to rob it tonight! We know how they're going to do it and everything! You can grab them while they're at it!"

"And how exactly," the deeper soulful voice of Sheriff Blubs asked as he walked out, holding two coffees, "do you know about all this? Sounds awfully suspicious. Oh, and here you go, buddy: half-caf soy salted caramel macchiato for you," Blubs handed a coffee to his partner, who cheered and started sipping. "Not too fast! You'll burn your tongue!" Blubs warned him.

"We... uh," Dipper turned to his sister, who returned the uncertain look. The premise of knowing what criminals were up to completely blinded them from being able to come up with a worthwhile excuse to how they came to the knowledge. Yet there they stood, with the two heads of the police department in town, staring them down for an answer. Dipper opened his mouth, worried their silence would draw further suspicion. Only then did Sheriff Blubs laugh at him.

"Oh, come on kid," Blubs grinned behind his black shades, "we're joking with you!" Sheriff Blubs and Deputy Durland gave a hearty laugh, pointing at the twins. The Pines duo started chuckling half-heartedly, awkwardly waiting for the two police officers to regain their composure. "You two looked like you were about faint! Woohaha!"

"Yeah, that's, hah, really funny," Dipper forced a thin smile on his face. "So, can we get your help in catching the gang?"

"Look kid," Sheriff said as he sipped his coffee, "We're not going to go running out at night just because you said so. I've listened to your advice about this sort of thing before. You remember how that turned out, don'tcha?"

Dipper's face reddened. He hadn't counted on the bumbling duo that were the Sheriff and deputy of Gravity Falls actually recalling his blunder three years ago. He had mistakenly laid the blame of an assault and 'murder' of a wax figurine on the short, ugly local reporter, Toby Determined. While he and his sister had quickly afterwards determined the wax figures had, in fact, been cursed to come to life during a waxing moon, and attempted to kill Grunkle Stan, they still hadn't exactly cleared their name from the wrong accusation. Dipper growled at his previous shortcomings, and could only guess how he'd win their trust. Maybe buying them more coffee?

"Well, that was my brother who told you," Mabel stepped up, a dawning look in her eyes as Dipper turned to see her, "but this is my discovery! You can trust me, can't you?"

The two police officers gave Mabel a good look. She was doing her very best to appear adorable, fluttering her eyes and holding her hands behind her back as she smiled sweetly at the two. It took her a lot of focus and concentration to ignore the sudden flashes of other people's vision as she blinked, including someone picking their nose, a boy poking at an electric socket with a metal fork, and a man chasing a squirrel, presumably on his hands and legs, around a front-yard fountain.

"I see no reason not to trust you," Sheriff Blubs leaned back, giving his partner a pat on the back, "but you're on a thin wire, young lady. You're getting one chance to show us you're right. Understood?"

"Yes sir!" Mabel saluted, her tongue slightly sticking out as she grinned.

Hours passed as the Pines twins waited for the call from the cops. The plan was simple enough- the cops would stay in the relative perimeter of the gym, just out of sight. As soon as a suspicious figure approached, they would nab them, and place them under arrest. Dipper and Mabel were now waiting in Dipper's car, just across the street from the Sheriff and Deputy's cruiser.

The stars shone above, a beautiful and clear night. The two had informed the Mystery Manor of their intentions over phone. Stan had been anxious at to hear their involvement; evidence by his repeatedly bringing up the inabilities of the cops, and having it become the theme of the conversation. Mabel had been able to convince him of their safety, as she argued she could easily spot the criminals using their own eyes. After the call, and the A-Okay from Stan, Dipper quickly asked if she had learned to do that.

"I didn't; just wanted him to relax already," Mabel grinned, maybe a little too innocently. When she opened her eyes, she groaned and stuck out her tongue, quickly closing her eyes again and involuntarily shuddering. "Another person dancing naked in front of the mirror."

"Man, I guess some stereotypes are here for a reason," Dipper patted his sister's shoulder as she pulled out a small note-pad, and added a tally for 'dancing naked'. On the paper was also 'picking noses', which was the reigning champion, 'staring at a mirror with creepy intensity', and a few more innocent ones, such as eating, chatting, or reading a book, which only had one tally.

"At this rate I'll know what everyone in Gravity Falls looks like under their clothes," Mabel groaned and sunk into her seat, "that's not a responsibility my youthful soul can take."

"I know how you feel," Dipper added with a tone of accusation, adjusting himself in his seat. Mabel gave him a tiny glare- it hadn't been her fault that she needed to change into her sleepwear that night, and he just decided to waltz right in. She jabbed a finger into his shoulder.

"Bub, not my problem you can't learn to knock," she retorted in a tough, gruff voice. Dipper chuckled and rolled his eyes. Then his body tensed up.

"Mabel, look," he pointed across the street.

She didn't need her nutty vision abilities to see what he was talking about. A tall man with a dirty button up shirt and vest skulked down the sidewalk, carrying with him a small metal case. He was extremely nervous looking, glancing up and down the street repeatedly. He wore a bandanna around his mouth, supposedly to hide his identity, but he would then remove it and sigh, wiping off sweat on his cheeks.

"Our crook of the evening?" Dipper asked his sister.

Mabel grinned: this was it. She had seen that man from a totally different perspective, but she had seen him before.

They watched him approach, dropping his bag right for the door. He glanced once more around, and quickly reached into the bag and grabbed a pair of lock picks. The instant he turned to the doors again, the lights went from night to day.

"FREEZE! HANDS IN THE AIR!" came the cry of literally the entire Gravity Falls police department. Ten police cruisers, all hiding nearby came rushing out of their spots, their sirens and lights blaring as the robber froze, his eyes so wide that the twins could see the reflections of the entire scene from his pupils.

"Attempted breaking and entering with the intent of theft," Sheriff Blubs stated as he and the Deputy got out of their cars, and Dipper and Mabel followed suit.

"Looks like the Hot-Grip gym can sleep well tonight," Dipper grinned as the he and Mabel walked with the Sherriff towards the crook, now being handcuffed as he stared around in awe, "because we caught this guy red-handed."

"UUUGGGHH," the crook groaned and looked like he wanted to just die on the spot at Dipper's lame pun.

"I wasn't too sure about this, you know," Sheriff Blubs said as he turned to the twins, adjusting his thick sunglasses, "I'm almost inclined to ask how you knew. The time and place was perfect."

"But who cares!" Deputy Durland ran over, hooting loudly as he shot his hands into the air, "we bagged a baddy! WOOHOO!"

"Maybe you guys should know then," Dipper leaned in to the two, and Mabel followed suit, "a little secret we have."

"He's just the first one," Mabel told them as the cops leaned towards the twins, "there are going to be more of these throughout the week!"

The two cops gave each other a look. Mabel and Dipper didn't require such an exchange of glances to know their feelings on the matter. These two bumbling policemen had what was probably the first real case in a long, long time. Instead of having to clean up the mess and look macho enough to 'scare away the thieves', they had the opportunity to really catch them, and Mabel was their key. It didn't take half a brain to know these guys would be using Mabels great 'advice' for a bit.

The next four days were a blur of excitement and drama. Fortunately the drama was not centered around the lives of the Pines twins, but instead, their growing status as pro-gang busters.

Mabel would lay in awake, later than she usually was, and blink again and again, looking for that same room with the gravity falls map laid out. She, through time and patience, would eventually find that place, and there would be one less person there looking over a new plan of action. With the help of her brother, she would record the new plan, and instantly report it to the police, who would lay in wait for the coming thief.

Each day heralded a new gang member to be locked in jail. It was a success that, strangely, no one in Gravity Falls questioned; even though the fact they were able to do what other towns had not was already an accomplishment beyond anything the police force had done in town before. The town pride grew more and more each day, and the fame of a young teenager with a big bright smile and silly sweaters grew just as much.

Four days after the first criminal had been captured was the last day of the Gang's plans, and Mabel sat on her porch, sitting next to Grenda and Candy Chiu, as she blinked rapidly.

"It's not working today," Mabel huffed after the hundredth time of looking for the final member of the gang, "I can find the other four jerks easily, sitting in the jail moping, but the last guy isn't coming to me," she grumbled, and poked at her old sweater, with a rainbow-shooting star adorned to its front.

"Maybe he has found an anti-magic charm," Candy suggested.

"Or maybe he _IS_ magical, and he's onto you," Grenda gasped, her hypothesis giving her a moment of panic, "we better be ready for action!"

"Guys, it's okay," Mabel told her newly reconnected friends as Dipper walked out the front door, carrying a six-pack of Pitt soda, "sometimes it can take a while for the ol' Mabel super-senses to find the right person."

"You mean for the Pixie to let you see the right person," Dipper corrected her as he handed a soda to each of them before opening his own, "that thing is really the hero here."

"But if it wasn't for me having swallowed it," Mabel debated with a happy grin, "it couldn't have told us anything to begin with if it wasn't for moi!"

"You accidentally swallowed it," Dipper pointed out, "and then spent a minute trying to claw it out of your neck."

"It tasted funny," Mabel remembered earnestly.

"Did it taste like sparkles?" Candy asked as she adjusted her glasses, "if there is someone I know who can tell the difference between sparkles and fairy creatures, it's you."

"Umm... not really?" Mabel tried, scratching her head with her empty hand, "kind of hard to explain how it tastes... you know that flavor in your mouth after you sleep too long? If you spray some nice perfume on that, but take away the flowery smell, that's what it tasted like."

"I'd totally eat a pixie," Grenda said after swigging some of the soda, "I've eaten worse tasting stuff than that!"

"I didn't eat it!" Mabel declared quickly, worried she was giving the wrong impression, "I just swallowed. Apparently it's just sort of stuck in my throat. Somewhere down here,-" she looked down to her chest, poking it with interest, "-a savior rests."

"That really doesn't look right, Mabel," Dipper commented, leaning away from his sister as she rubbed her belly with glee, a wide smile on her face as she laughed with her two friends.

Mabel grinned to her friends and sighed. The sun was just above the tree line, and the rays of light fell easily onto the four teens. The thought passed through her head- if she never lost this ability, she could come to accept the quirks and move past them. She could easily become, dare she say it even in her head, a super hero. A crime fighter who scans the world through other people's eyes and finds the evil do-ers while they plan their actions. She had almost gotten used to accidentally slipping into personal moments, even the particularly embarrassing times she saw people she really knew. What would be the next 'logical' step in this ability?

The young girl sighed as she leaned back. A small breeze passed the four of them, rocking their hair back and forth. Mabel only had to push her head slightly ahead to catch a glimpse of something mystical. A trio of small lights were bobbing out of the woods, letting off a trail of tiny fading sparkles. Mabel gasped and her hand raised to point at the image.

"Guys! Look!" Mabel uttered, the breath leaving her as the creatures glided closer. The three others gasped, and Dipper stood up quickly, pulling his sister up with him. "What?" he asked her indignantly.

The three spheres of light had entirely left the woods when the first bobbing ball of sky blue color stopped, as well did the lights of green and pink. The three huddled closer for a moment, and there was a flash of light bright enough for the four teens to shield their eyes. Dipper and Mable clutched at each other tightly, worriedly looking ahead as they were mirrored by Grenda and Candy, who had yet to stand.

Three human-sized fairies with tall, pointed ears and sparkling wings now stood before them. The closest to them was dressed very formally, wearing a dark blue suit with matching dress pants. He adjusted his tie and took a step closer as he cleared his throat. He reached inside his jacket, and withdrew a small card, just enough for them to read a name and title.

"Twinkle-Moon, Attorney of Fairy-Xenocreature law," the well groomed blonde man spoke, a firm voice of authority claiming the space around them, "I am looking for the human girl who goes by the name 'Mabel Pines'. Which of you would be her?"

A stunned silence had fallen after the 'Fairy Lawyer' spoke. The three who were not Mabel had impulsively turned to look at her, immediately betraying her identity, while Mabels' eyes sparkled as she beheld the beautiful man-sized fairy before her. Her mind was in complete shock. Three beautiful, sparkling people with wings that seemed to glisten with transparent beauty stood before her. The closest two had large wings resembling those on a dragonfly, and the other behind them had wings like a moth. She couldn't process what the man had just demanded, and she made a step forward.

"Whoa, hold on a second," Dipper's voice stated, and Mabel felt herself being pulled back to reality as she was literally pulled backwards by her brother. She shook her head as he continued, "What do you want with her?"

"Our concerns are with the human being Mabel Pines," the second man stated, also in a suit, but with short dark hair that seemed to naturally spiked around him like a wild mane, "unless you are... Mabel?" he asked, leaning closer to examine Dipper.

"I'm not a girl!" Dipper protested as Grenda and Candy giggled.

"Mabel is a female name to humans?" the second fairy leaned back, looking to the blond fairy, "their names sound so masculine... I don't understand-"

"We're getting off topic!" the woman-fae behind the two snapped, drawing attention to herself. Mabel bent slightly to the side, to better get a look at the woman hiding in the back. She was positively adorable- wavy light brown hair with large blue eyes, a soft face that spoke of youth and energy. As soon as Mabel laid eyes on her, the Fairy returned the look, but furiously.

"Right," the blonde nodded, "Mabel Pines?" he stepped closer, easily taller than all the kids there. "Please identify yourself."

"You first," Grenda stated back, no longer as entranced as Mabel, who held hands to her cheeks as she stared into the man's endlessly shimmering eyes.

"Oh, that's right, human custom," the man leaned back, scratching his head, which produced a small shimmer of excess sparkles, and Mabel cooed in delight, "I am Twinkle-Moon, the leading Fairy-Xenocreature Attorney of Law. This is Miss Jingle-Blossom," he indicated behind him with one hand towards the woman, "and this is my Fairy Partner Lawyer," he turned again, but now to the other man, "Bob."

"Bob?" Dipper asked, sizing up the fairy in question, who scowled at the mention of his name, "You're a fairy with the name Bob?"

"I bumped my head when I was enchanted to life. I made the sound accidentally when... never mind," The Fairy Bob growled just above his breath.

"I like it!" Mabel declared in a pitch a little too high for her normal voice, "Bob is a lovely name."

The Fae exchanged glances, uncertain to Mabel's genuine attitude. Dipper gave her a single uncertain glance and rolled his eyes while he huffed out a tense sigh. His sister was practically shooting hearts out of her eyes at the sight of these two men. Dipper could almost feel her heartbeat as she dreamily stared at the two men before her.

"So, you're saying you're a Lawyer?" Dipper asked after a moment of letting his sister stare at them without interruption.

"Of course. All civilized creatures have laws, and those laws need interpreting," Twinkle-Moon said simply, motioning to Bob the Fairy for a bag he hung over his shoulder, "I specialize in cases that involve non-fairy laws."

"Non-fairy law?" Mabel asked as Twinkle-Moon pulled out a large leather binder of bright pastel colors.

"That's right. Now, can I assume you are Mabel? Miss Mabel Pines?" Twinkle Moon asked, putting on half-rim spectacles as he looked down to the binder he opened up.

"I... yes," Mabel nodded, biting her lip a little as she stepped closer. It was as if each step she took removed her inability to breathe a little more. She had imagined that human beings could be beautiful, but the perfection this Fairy man had in his face, angular face and soft chin and shapely eyebrows that contoured his face; he was gorgeous. It was androgyny at its greatest.

"Mabel Pines, as in accordance to human law," Twinkle-Moon stated officially as he read a page from the binder, "you are held accountable for the theft of the un-living child of Jingle-Blossom, and in accordance to fairy law-"

"Whoa!" Mabel held her hands up and stepped back, "Theft?"

"Kidnapping," Jingle-Blossom stated angrily behind the two men.

"Kidnapping!?" The other three teenagers gasped.

"-You are held accountable for kidnapping of said un-enchanted life child of Jingle-Blossom; the misuse of Fairy property, the aforementioned unenhanced child of Jingle-Blossom; the ransoming of said property-"

"RANSOMING!?" Mabel shouted as the list grew worse and worse, "I didn't ransom anything!"

"According to Fae-dar, our Fae ability detecting tools," Bob the Fairy stepped forward, looking to the binder briefly, "you have used abilities granted to you by the pixie belonging to Jingle-Blossom upon multiple occasion. This mistreatment of the pixie is a serious act of braggery to Fairies, and is seen as Jingle-Blossom," Bob pointed to the fuming woman-fairy behind him, "as a means to demand action from her."

"In total," Twinkle-Moon said loudly, bringing the attention of all to him again, "Mabel Pines, you have committed several acts of aggression and hostile actions against Jingle-Blossom's child. In this regard, Fairy law puts you in her hands for judgment," Twinkle-Moon pointed to the woman behind him, who had just cracked a tiny, vengeful smile at Mabel.

Mabel gulped. That wasn't a look she wanted from a fairy. She was really, really, really in trouble.

* * *

><p>Fairies. You never know what to expect from the buggers- one moment they're twinkling around you talking about flowers and stuff, and the next they want to take your teeth way! The heck's with that!?<p>

I've got a little surprise for you all: A minor non-human character from the Season 1 of the show will be making an appearance in part two! I would love to hear a guess or two as to who's going to make it into the story of Mabel and her gift of extra-extra sensory perception. Which was a possible name for this episodes title, but I digress.

First chapter with major, major points of view from Mabel! How'd you like it, guys? More? Less? Increase speed to warp eight? Lemme know! :)

Anyways, seeya guys next- (there is a strange pulse of light that passes through the entire dorm, and suddenly nothing is tethered to gravity, including EZB) Oh crud! (EZB and the contents of his room start floating around) Oh... you know, this isn't so bad.

(a large brown bear, aware of the change in gravitation forces, lunges through the window and attacks EZB, and begins mauling him) AH! OKAY! THIS IS BAD! OW! VERY BAD! OW!


	9. A Mabel of Perspective: Part 2

"What?!" the four teens shouted. Grenda and Candy stood next to one another, staring wide-eyed at the three tall Fairies before them.

"But, wait," Dipper stepped to his sister's side, who was shaking now; all aspects of attraction towards these mystical creatures washed away at the possibility of legal action, "this all sounds like police work! Why are you two laying out charges to her? Get your officers or whatever!"

"Fae do not have 'police'," Bob said, using his fingers to quote the words police, "it is a rather wasteful thing to monitor fairies at all times when we all have magic."

"If you had been a Fairy, Mabel Pines," Twinkle-Moon stated, taking an ominous step closer, having the twins back off slightly, "the punishment for these actions would be death."

"But I didn't do anything!" Mabel protested, worriedly looking between the two men, and then to the supposed mother, "It was just an accident!"

"Ha!" the woman spat aloud, "A likely story!"

"We were just sitting by the woods," Dipper pointed to the area they had occupied earlier, also looking to Jingle-Blossom, "and it floated into Mabel's mouth. She didn't want to do anything to it! She almost cried when-"

"I don't _care_," Jingle-Blossom yelled, her skin glowing redder with each heated word, "What she did... when she took my _baby_... away from _**me**_!"

Jingle-Blossom had grown three feet taller while she had been shouting. Her heavy, heaving breaths slowed down, and her size began to scale back towards a normal human height as she glared at the twins hatefully. Even the Lawyers had leaned away, uncertainty etched into their frowns.

"Ah, uh, yes," Twinkle-Moon cleared his throat, and looked back to the kids, "we must admit, this is the tricky part of the business here. See, fairies don't recognize human claim to land. You say you were just over there?" he pointed to the plot of land behind several trees in the distance, "in our terms of land-ownership, this entire forest is considered fairy land. You took her child right off her own front lawn, to put it into your perspective."

"Oh, I've never heard of that analogy," Bob the Fairy told his partner, who shrugged.

"Work with humans enough times, you catch the sayings pretty quickly," Twinkle-Moon explained briefly.

Mabel was flooded with dread and the closest thing to self-loathing she had ever felt in her life. The entire experience she had gone through when she thought she had killed the pixie came rushing back. This time, instead of her guilt of being a murderer, she dealt with the well-deserved wrath of a mother. She was a kidnapper and child abuser now, and her heart sank for miles in her chest. She wanted to cry, to let that pain well out. Maybe she did deserve death. After all, how was she supposed to get Jingle-Blossom's pixie back? She had tried hacking up the small puff ball before to no avail. Her nose was suddenly stuffy. As she sniffed, rubbing her arm across her face, her brother stepped forward, his face screwed in determination.

"You can't kill her," Dipper told them, his eyes boring into the taller men before him, and then to the ever-furious woman behind them, "you can't kill a person because of an innocent mistake! You'd be the horrible people if you did, not us!"

"HOW DARE YOU!?" Jingle-Blossom roared, stomping forward towards Dipper, who stood his ground. Yet she was stopped, a hand shooting up from Twinkle-Moon.

"He's right," the blonde fairy stated calmly. Dipper gasped and almost smiled. He clearly hadn't been expecting such an answer. The mother gaped at the lawyer, who turned to speak to her. "We, as Fae, are bound to our own laws. Death cannot be executed without explicit breaking of the seven prime no-no's."

"Seven prime no-no's?" Grenda asked, tilting her head to the side.

"However," Twinkle-Moon turned back to Mabel, who was trying to calm herself, "that doesn't mean you walk away free. The closest agreement I can come to terms with is punishment by curse."

"Curse?!" Mabel gasped, blinking rapidly as she saw other people's lives accidentally during this important moment, "But-but-"

"Miss Jingle-Blossom," Bob turned to the Fairy woman, who seemed calmed at their words, "you will hold the lease of the curse. Please sign here," he reached into his bag and pulled out a shimmering piece of parchment, and handed her an oversized cattail with ink on one end.

"By signing this, I determine what exactly?" the mother asked quietly.

"You can't curse her!" Candy began pleading for Mabel, "that's dark magic! Fairies are supposed to be nice and sweet!"

"And humans are supposed to be tall and scary, but you don't see me judging you four, do you?" Bob stated snappily at the four, but his eyes lingered on Grenda, "Well, maybe you fit the description." Grenda growled at his words, pushing her sleeves up her arms. Bob continued, "by signing here, you acknowledge the curse of Mabel Pines belongs to you and you determine the extremes of the curse and the length."

"I understand," Jingle-Blossom nodded and looked to Mabel. She clearly detested the brown haired girl, but that seething anger had vanished. With a single examination of the paper, she took the cattail and signed her name on a part of the list. Burst of light emanated from the signature, and the paper rolled itself up without the aid of the fairies, and landed in Jingle-Blossoms open hands.

"No!" Mabel gasped. Her feet gave away, and she fell forward. what kind of curse would it be? Would she feel pain forever? Maybe she could only speak in boring, over-specific words? What if she lost all adorable features about her? Her eyes raced as she stared at the ground below her, and she waited for the coming curse.

"Just stop! She doesn't deserve this!" Dipper shouted at Jingle-Blossom, who shook her head as she clutched the curse.

"For stealing my child, you are cursed, from now and the rest of your days," Jingle-Blossom stated aloud, "to never retain your own senses again."

"W-what?!" Mabel stopped shaking and looked up. It was the tiniest gust of wind that caused her to blink, and when she did, she again saw into the life of another person. Fearfully, she blinked again. She did not see the fairies before her. She gasped and blinked again. Another view into another life, but not her own vision. Again and again she blinked, faster and faster, desperate for her own sight to come back. "Oh no! I-I-I can't see through my own eyes anymore!"

"That is not all," The dark voice of Jingle-Blossom said, her voice growing closer and her footsteps just loud enough to let Mabel know she was approaching slowly, at a steady pace, "don't sneeze. Don't ever hiccup. Don't you ever, ever yawn so hard your ears pop. And never, never, never get shivers. Or... those senses will leave you too."

"NO!" Dipper shouted, his voice loud enough to almost knock Mabel over. She felt him approach the woman somewhere ahead of her, his feet stomping into the earth, "You let her off this curse right now! Or-"

"Or else what?" Jingle-Blossom sneered back, and Dipper growled so loud it felt like his throat might tear.

"That's enough," the calm voice of Twinkle-Moon called above them all, silencing both Dipper and the scorned mother. "The business at hand is now done. Jingle-Blossom, unless you're trying to start a conflict with humans that goes beyond our legislation, we will be leaving now."

"...Yes," Jingle-Blossom sighed and their footsteps started leaving the area.

"Wait!" Mabel cried, tripping over her own feet suddenly, barely being caught by Dipper, who gasped at her collapse, but Mabel didn't flinch. She reached out, trying to call back the fairies, "You can't leave me like this! Please? I'll give it back, I just need to figure out how to get it out of me!"

"Mabel, they're gone," Candy's voice said sadly as Mabel, now having closed her eyes to attempt not seeing anyone else's life, let her hand fall to her side, limp. Any attempt to stand herself up gave away, and Dipper held up as tears started building in her eyes.

This was beyond bad. This was a level of bad Mabel had never dealt with before. Life and death was one thing, but now her senses were all on a thin wire. She already lost one of her five senses; not temporarily, but forever. If she was going to see again, she was going to do it through someone else eyes. What kind of sick, twisted curse was this? What would life be without the ability to sense your own world?

A Mystery Manor meeting was called in the living room. All employees of the Mystery Manor, the twins, Grenda and Candy Chiu, and Stanley Pines gathered, hearing the story of what had just transpired. Stan had tried being light-hearted at first, blowing this news off like it was nothing. As the story wrapped up, Grunkle Stan's expression was solemn and grim- not that Mabel could see it. She had been offered by Dipper multiple times to be her seeing-eye-brother, but she had wordlessly refused, shaking her head rapidly in a flurry of brown hair. It would hurt too much to be reminded she could only see other people's lives.

"Dude, we have to break this curse," Wendy finally said after a long pause, where the eight of them sat in the room quietly. "This isn't freaking cool just to let her lose her senses like this!"

"Exactly!" Dipper snapped a finger to her.

"Just how exactly are we supposed to do that?" Grunkle Stan asked around, "Look, I know my way around a few things like this, but Fairies and I never got along, and I know for a fact their curses are persistent," at these words, Mabel's lower lip trembled, "not that we wont try! Mabel, sweetheart," Grunkle Stan lost all pretenses of his tough nature as his Great-niece broke down and cried for the second time since coming inside.

"I might as well just diiiieeee," Mabel bawled to the ceiling, her arms poised above her, "death! Take me now!"

"Mabel, stop it," Dipper scolded her lightly, pulling her arms down, "you can get along without sight for now. All we have to do is find a way to break this spell thing, and then we put this behind us, right?"

"Is anyone familiar with curses enough to lead this?" Candy asked around. The group exchanged glances. Eyes fell onto Dipper and Stan, who shrugged.

"I'll give my notes a look through," Stan said strongly, and Dipper nodded. He would do the same, but he didn't need anyone to tell him what to do. If it took him the rest of his life to break this curse form his sister, he would do it. His eyes shifted momentarily to the others. Soos was watching Mabel so sadly and cautiously, as if he was afraid Mabel would hurt herself. Wendy also seemed out of her element, staring into the carpeted floor with the same hollow look she had when stitching up Dipper several days ago.

"Grenda, Candy," Dipper said, standing up, "we're going to the Library."

"What for?" Grenda asked as she and Candy naturally stood up as well.

"We ran into someone a few days ago who dealt with crazy stuff like this; that warlock. Magic curses, spells, potions and stuff- those books that creep left behind may have a hint to what we're supposed to do if we want to break this stupid curse. Grunkle Stan, you guys got your end covered?" Dipper turned to his elder, a fire in his eyes.

"Kid, don't even worry about me. You go see what else I mighta missed from the library, got it?" Grunkle Stan put a hand on Dipper's shoulder, his eyes looking into Dipper's, "we're going to fix this, you and I."

"I'm going too," Mabel decided, finally speaking, catching most of them off guard as she tried pushing herself off the ground.

"Sweetheart, you should probably just stay here for now," Stan said carefully, his gruff voice doing its best to convey concern.

"I want to go with my brother," she said stronger.

"Mabel, we'll be right back, okay?" Dipper told her, stepping to his sister, who jumped a little when he placed his hand on her shoulder, "I'm not going for long, okay?"

"But- but I-" Mabel tried arguing. Dipper's fingers gripped her tightly enough to remind her of his honesty. He wouldn't be long, and she wouldn't be any help to them, not without seeing for herself. She let herself sigh and nodded to the direction she assumed Dipper was towards. "Just don't leave your stupid sister hanging, got it buster?"

"Wouldn't dream of it," Dipper gave her a quick but squeezing hug. Mabel felt his touch leave, and she heard a cluster of pairs of feet racing outside where transport to the town awaited.

"I should do something," Mabel nodded to herself as she stood there, wondering what to do with herself, and she turned half way to her right. "You guys have anything you need help with?"

"We're over here, sweetheart," Stan's voice called from directly behind her. Mabel nodded and shuffled again, "there ya go. Fully facing us."

"Well?" Mabel repeated, "someone be my taskmaster for a bit."

"Do you think it's a good idea if I have her help me on the roof?" Soos asked to Stan and Wendy, who, unknown to Mabel, gave him incredulous stares. "So that's a big noooo."

"I can always use help with... uh," Grunkle Stan looked around, and found a stack of neatly piled post cards, and tossed them to the floor, "Ah! My post cards! Gosh, I could sure use some help picking them up in an orderly fashion: my old man back can't reach down that far!"

"I'll take what I can," Mabel sighed, having heard Grunkle Stan cause the mess himself.

"Right. And then, uh... Wendy, you make sure she stays busy," Stan told his employee strongly. Wendy looked down to the younger teenager, scooping up what she could of the post-cards, Mabel starting to hum a slow, sad tune.

"You got it, boss-man," Wendy nodded, one of the few times she had ever taken an order from her boss seriously.

"Right. Soos, the roof done yet? The contractors are coming tomorrow, so make sure everything looks like it still works," Stan said, wrapping his arm around his handy-man and pulling him from the room. Soos replied animatedly in the other room, leaving the two ladies alone to their work.

Wendy stood quietly, a hand cupping her other elbow as she stared with a concern. Her eyes scanned each small movement of Mabel, uncertain to her own next course of action. The younger teen could feel the eyes on her as she wrapped up her chore, and coughed into her hand. Upon the cough, Wendy noticed her quiet stares and turned cleared her throat as well, uncertainty pouring through her.

"So, what're we gonna do?" Mabel tried after clearing her throat.

"I, uh," Wendy stumbled over her words, looking around the shop quickly to think of something that Mabel could work on, "I think the shelves are dusty, but I'm not sure that giving you a duster is a good-"

"I got it!" Mabel cheered as she tossed the postcards in Wendy's direction, spilling them into the air like a cardboard explosion. Wendy tried catching them as much as she could while Mabel turned to where she thought she could find a duster, and instead ran into a key-chain rack in the middle of the floor; tripping over it. As she landed, she rolled to the side, and bumped into yet another rack, which collapsed onto her, spilling car license plates everywhere. "I don't got it," she mumbled sadly.

"Mabel, hold on a second," Wendy tossed the cards aside as she rushed to the buried teenager before her. The process of untangling the defeated sweater-clad girl was not entirely easy. Mabel's hair had gotten caught in the wire-warms of the racks, which Wendy had to pull out gently before removing anything other than the spilled products from atop Mabel.

"Wendy, what do I do?" Mabel asked as she felt the weight above her slowly vanishing.

"Well, for one, maybe you should start taking a leaf out of your brother's book," Wendy told her as she finally pulled off one of the wracks from Mabel, "and look before you- ohhh," Wendy caught herself as Mabel turned her face to Wendy's direction, lips thin as she gave the redhead a closed eye glare, "you know, before you leap. Sorry," Wendy added a put a hand to her face holding her shame.

"It's okay... besides, that sounds boring," Mabel replied, sticking her tongue out plainly, "I live for excitement!"

"And being buried under souvenir racks?" Wendy asked as she lifted the second tower from Mabel, "Dude, there isn't any shame on taking it easy, you know."

"I don't need to change for this," Mabel replied, pushing herself off the ground before Wendy had a chance to offer her any of her own assistance, "this isn't that big of a deal. I mean, I can still hear and smell and stuff, right?" Mabel tried chuckling, wobbling for a moment when she regained her footing. Wendy looked at her brown haired friend, and even though Mabel couldn't see a thing, she could feel a strangely understanding stare coming from her. It was enough for her mind, infinitely ready to deny personal struggle and stress, to wonder if she could really handle this. "Any more of that advice?" Mabel gasped after a moment of gently tucking her lips in her mouth, chewing them in nervousness.

"You want my opinion?" Wendy asked, uncertainty pouring through her, "Mabel, I'm not exactly the best source of information on how to deal with... you know."

"But you're smart, right?" Mabel took a step towards Wendy's voice, "I bet you'd know what to do about a curse like this! You swing around tree like it's nothing- like a Jane of the jungle!"

"I don't know, dude," Wendy rubbed the back of her head, "my first bet would be to find out how to get rid of that egg-thing, and then hand it back to the Fairies or whatever. Maybe they'll lift the curse or whatever," Wendy reasoned as she looked out the windows, presumably in a direction the fairies could be located.

"There's no promise that they'll let me my sight back and stuff if I do though, is there?" Mabel huffed, folding her arms along her stomach as she considered. "Tough luck for me."

"It could be worse," Wendy quickly replied. Mabel turned to her direction, and the redhead blushed, "Okay, it's pretty bad."

"It's not just sight, remember? I can't sneeze or anything or cough or... anything!" Mabel grabbed her shoulders as she remembered the final warning of Jingle-Blossom, "And I can't shiver. She was really happy telling me that one, the jerk."

"Then no dusting for you," Wendy decided, taking note of where the broom was, by a corner, "or you'll be dealing with worse than just being blind."

"Right," Mabel nodded. Her mind hadn't been prepared for the shift in weight, and she stumbled, "Ack!" Wendy was fast to respond, catching her by the arms to stabilize her. As Mabel felt herself gain proper footing again, the side of foot nudged something. "What's that?" she asked, gentling nudging the side of what felt like cardboard.

"Your stuff for your door," Wendy answered, bending down, "I think you left it here after your friends got here."

"Oh, shoot!" Mabel snapped her fingers, having completely forgotten about her little side-project, "Ugh! It's going to a million times harder to make something that perfectly captures Dipper and me when I can't even see it!" Mabel sat down and she felt Wendy do the same. "Maybe I should just toss it now, since I can't finish it."

"Mabel," Wendy spoke soothingly to little avail. Mabel was holding her knees to her, resting her head against her arms as she drowned in pitiful thoughts. It felt like there was nothing she could currently do. A huge stamp had been smashed onto Mabel's soul; this curse labeled her as absolutely fragile, and she couldn't get over that. Then Mabel felt a hand on her shoulder, and she gasped. Wendy sighed as she looked to Mabel, her green eyes looking to her with a weight not usually found in the redhead. "Dude, I'm not going to say this sucks, but we're going to get past it," Wendy told her.

"I don't know," Mabel mumbled, "No offense Wendy, but it's not like you're really going through anything like this... I feel pretty crummy now," Mabel admitted.

"Well... no, I guess I don't know anything about losing your sight and stuff, but I know what it's like losing something important to you," Wendy stated strongly. Mabel blinked, actually blinked, and shook her head. She had quickly seen a vision of someone in town, reading into a book, but then snapped her eyelids closed again. Wendy's words still rang in her head.

"What do you mean?" Mabel asked.

"I... uh, well, I kind of lost all my friends over the past year or so," Wendy told Mabel quietly, actually turning her head to the hallway to see if anyone was there.

"What?" Mabel gasped, "but you had like, a gazillion buddies!"

"Yeah, we just sort of realized we weren't all going to be staying around, you know?" Wendy said quietly and clearly, still trying to keep her voice minimal, "I mean, Nate and Lee are heading to different colleges, Tambry is going to move out of town soon with her family, and then Thompson-"

"But then who have you been hanging out with at school?" Mabel asked.

"Eh, I got a few people who I still chat with, you know? It's, uh, been kind of hard to get through school in the past year. And then I'm now trying to get some scholarships for college-"

"You're going to COLLEGE!?" Mabel gasped, trying to stand up, and falling on herself. Her energy was not deterred though, and she tried again, this time standing up fully, her arms at her cheeks, "You mean, like, that adult thingy-college!?" Wendy had laughed at Mabels determination to stand.

"Yeah dude," Wendy grinned, "I mean, logging is fine, but I wanted to go learn something cool, you know?" Wendy scratched the back of her neck as she spoke. Her eyes darted then to the box next to Mabel, and a huge spark of an idea erupted in her mind. "Hey, I could totally help with the door stuff you know."

"Huh?"

"I can be your seeing eye-artist," Wendy offered her services with a grin, pulling out the collected magazines that Mabel had deemed worthy of her attention, and the many cut-outs she already had gotten to. "I won't have that same touch to it all that you do, but we can keep the project alive while we try fixing this craziness, right?"

Again Mabel blinked, her eyes flashing with the vision of a life that didn't belong to her. She shook her head and closed her eyes, uncertain to her proposition. It wasn't that she didn't trust Wendy- she understood Mabel's artistic qualities well enough. It was just saddening to think that she couldn't complete this project on her own. Somewhere deep in her brain, a tiny Mabel voice shot up. The tiny Mabel cried in her head, "Collaborations are the best-orations!" and Mabel cracked a smile.

"Hold on," Mabel told Wendy, who had begun to pull over papers and cut outs around her and she sat back down, "I'm totally for this plan, so I'm going to need to find your eyes."

"So you're going to start trying to see again?" Wendy asked, a huge grin growing across her face. She had somehow gotten to Mabel, and watcher her flutter her eyelids rapidly.

"Maaaybe," Mabel cheekily admitted, "I may not be able to see this silly thing constantly, but I'm doing it for the sake of the door! It needs sprucing up!" The two girls laughed, and Mabel gasped. She had finally found Wendy's vision, and could see herself being looked at. "Ble-ugh! I'm a mess! Why didn't anyone tell me my hair looked like a twisted ball of yarn?"

"I think we figured you had enough stuff going on in your mind," Wendy smirked as Mabel tried her best to smooth-en out and straighten her hair, and was able to eventually coordinate her hands to the vision Wendy provided. "Ready for this project?"

"You know it!" Mabel cheered.

Half an hour passed as the two ladies sat on the floor, chatting and putting together a very Mabel-like collections of papers to place on her door upstairs. Goofy, nonsensical, positive, colorful pages were completed in the name of door-decorations. One that Wendy pleasantly reminded Mabel would be reserved for Dipper was mildly decorated on with a question marks and a flying saucer and a picture of a cartoony ghost. Mabel, who had to occasionally find Wendy again after she had blinked, came to adore the work she had completed with her older assistant.

Only a few minutes after completing the project, the teenage trio returned, laden with more books than, according to Candy, the library had ever let be rented out at once. Over forty books, divided by the three teens, had been called to arms in the battle to discover a solution. Dipper's eyes, as Mabel finally could see them through Wendy, looked the most driven they had ever been since they had come to Gravity Falls. Placing her art work aside, Mabel followed her brother into the living room with the Grenda and Candy, and sat along side them as they began to take notes. Wendy soon joined forces, reading several books herself as hours passed.

"I thought reading about magic and stuff would be exciting," Grenda said after an hour, cracking her neck loudly, "this is boring! It's worse than my intro to biology textbook!"

"We just need mentions of anything related to Fairies, curses, or spells that involve cleansing stuff. Maybe potions too," Dipper told her, looking at a neat sheet of paper on the floor next to him which contained paraphrased notes from the number three journal.

"I feel like these words are just little dots now," Grenda said as she stared angrily at the page, "my eyes haven't done this much reading since I waited until the hour before exams to study."

"I remember that," Candy nodded as she flipped a page, adjusting her glasses as she took down another note, "you looked like you were in much pain."

"I feel like I'm in much pain!" Grenda groaned, pulling her face down with her hands, stretching her skin.

"Well, how do the notes look so far?" Dipper asked, looking up from his own records, "So far I've found several indications that removing a fairy from your body requires salt to be thrown at its feet."

"But it's a pixie," Mabel stated from her comfy seat above Dipper, "I don't know it even has feet."

"They don't like metal stuff?" Grenda tried aloud as she looked into a book, "Maybe you should swallow an iron marble, Mabel."

"I've already tried that," Mabel addmitted, "I've eaten plenty of stuff I thought would have it react to it," Mabel sadly added, slouching into the chair further. "Candy?" she asked, aware her friend in glasses hadn't spoken.

"I've thought of something," the black haired girl said slowly, "but I don't think we can do it."

"Well, it can't be worse than anything we've got so far," Dipper shrugged as he focused on Candy Chiu, "hit us with it."

"Pixies are un-animated Fairies, or have yet to be born," Candy began her hypothesis slowly, "which means it won't move on its own yet. If it can't move it ourselves, we need it to make it move by itself."

"But a pixie just floats around- like, shoosh," Mabel lifted her arms at her sides, and glided in her seat, "it didn't look like it did anything other than bob around."

"Then we make sure it can move," Candy stated finally.

"I don't follow," Grenda grunted, but then Dipper gasped and clapped his hand against his head. "What? Am I missing something in the notes?"

"Of course! Candy's right!" Dipper exclaimed.

"What is going on? Did Candy hold up a picture!? I wanna see it!" Mabel declared, blinking her eyes rapidly to find one of their visions to borrow.

"No, no, I mean that if an un-animated fairy cannot move, and we cannot move the fairy, we must then allow it to move on its own. So-"

"So," Dipper continued in Candy's place, "we animate the fairy."

"What!?" Grenda and Mabel gasped.

"Can that even happen?" Mabel asked quickly, jumping out of her chair, wanting to see whatever plan she heard Dipper scribbling down on a piece of paper, almost tripping over Candy. "Whoops! Close one, huh?"

"So, we know Pixies can be animated," Dipper started, as Mabel got on her knees between Grenda and Candy, staring in the direction of Dipper, "from what the journal stated, it's a process where Fairies gather positive energies, and bind it to a pixie, and then the pixie wakes up and is alive from that point."

"So do we just make people laugh around Mabel?" Grenda scratched her head as she asked.

"No, that can't be right," Dipper groaned, a poor realization stunning his train of thought, "if it was that simple, Mabel would have been able to make this thing alive by now, for sure. She's a freaking cannon-ball of joy."

"Destructive and positive. I like that," Mabel nodded as she gave the analogy a consideration, "nice one, Dip."

"Then what do we do? If Mabel isn't enough-" Candy began to think aloud, and like Dipper, had a moment of clarity, "unless we need to quantify the positive emotions."

"Quanit-fee-fie-foo-what?" Mabel turned towards Candy, and Dipper chuckled.

"She means bind it to something we can work with- like turning good vibes into actual chocolate or something," Dipper explained, trying to give an example.

"Can... can such a glorious thing happen?" Mabel gasped, her face widening in a her incredible awe.

"Feelings into chocolate," Grenda held herself in her arms, her eyes to the ceiling. Mabel and Grenda clearly had the same idea, as the two of them almost started drooling at the concept of a kind of action where by merely feeling good, chocolate goodness would be created before you. It was a thought they both wouldn't let go, even as Dipper looked between them with raised eyebrows.

"I feel a judging stare," Mabel declared, "Dipper-"

"Anyway," Dipper interrupted the two ladies daydream, "I haven't seen anything like this in the books here, but we haven't been looking for-"

"Why not just get a fairy to do it for you?" a new voice asked from the corner. The three seeing teens turned, and Mabel craned her head anyway, to face Wendy, who was leaning on the counter.

"They cursed her!" Grenda told Wendy with conviction.

"I know, but unless you have a way to solve this sooner without them, we really should consider asking them for help. They'll get their little pixie back, and Mabel might get to see again," Wendy stepped into the room. Dipper got a chance to have a good look at Wendy. There was a nervousness about her; her eyes seemed a little more desperate to get them to agree to this plan than Wendy normally did- for anything. She held a copy of the local paper at her side, clutched tightly as she looked at Mabel.

"Wendy, what's going on?" Dipper asked, standing up, "you act like we don't have much time or stuff. Even if she looses hearing, we can still-"

"You're not going to believe this," Wendy quietly said, puckering her lips in worry as she held up the paper, "I didn't notice it this morning, but you wouldn't believe what Toby posted on the papers!"

"Huh?" Grenda leaned closer to the ink, her eyes squinting as she tried reading aloud, "Local boy looses tooth in ice-cream: eats it anyway to chagrin of supposed tooth-fairy?"

"No, the big stories?" Wendy pointed with her other hand to the very large picture on front, where the capture members of the Five Freaky Friends sat in jail, angrily staring at the photographer.

"Captured thieves are to be released later today, as their bail has been posted and quickly paid- WHAT!?" Dipper shot up instantly, snatching the paper from Wendy as he read aloud, "police were excited to announce the purchase of their second bouncy-castle in regards to the bail money. Heroes that captured the robbers were unavailable for questioning regarding this news. Well," Dipper said to Wendy, "at least he didn't mention us by-"

"Look, there!" Wendy growled, and pulled the paper so everyone could see it, "right there," she pointed to the end of the story, "if you wish to congratulate the heroes who were able to foil these crazy crooks, go to the Gravity Falls Mystery Shack and inquire for the Pines Twins."

"Oh... oh no," Dipper gasped as the problems all sunk in. There was a band of criminals back on the streets, for one thing. The more pressing issue was that the papers literally pointed anyone who wanted to see their detainees right to Dipper and Mabel. She could take care of herself, and Dipper was almost out of the bandages on his arm, but she was blind and her other senses were also vulnerable to being lost. "This is bad!"

"Hey!" A new voice called into the room, and Grunkle Stan poked his head around, "What's the word on curing Mabel? Based on the sounds you've all been making and the looks on your faces... not good."

"Not exactly," Dipper told him, "We're working on something, but we've got worse stuff going on than just the curse."

"A gang of robbers is coming for Dipper and Mabel!" Grenda shouted bluntly.

"What?!" Grunkle Stan shouted, his body tensing up as he looked to his two young relatives.

"Newspaper are going to lead them to me!" Mabel said worriedly, wringing her hands, "I know I said 'death take me', but I didn't mean it literally!"

"This came out today?" Stan rounded on Wendy, prying the papers from her and reading them quickly himself, "Determined, if I ever get my hands on you... ugh! Okay, I got some good news at least," Grunkle Stan turned to the gang, "I think we can get this curse thing off you if we just bring the pixie to life. Sounds crazy, I know-"

"That was our plan," Dipper cut off his grand-uncle, "we're just not sure if that's enough to get Mabel off the curse."

"Oh. Well, good thing I could be _soo_ helpful," Grunkle Stan rolled his eyes, "at least we know what we need to do, right?" Stan asked, looking expectantly at Dipper and the others.

"Uh," Dipper started, not entirely sure of a plan, "uh-"

"We're going to go talk to the fairies," Mabel declared suddenly, drawing the others attention to her, "It's not like we can be fairy foster parents; we don't know magic! Well, maybe not fairy magic," she added, recalling their various dabbing of dangerous spells and incantations in the past, "but if there's someone who can help, it would be a fairy!" Mabel stated proudly, smiling in her conclusion.

"Sweety, they did curse you, you know," Grunkle Stan reminded her, "and not in the verbal way."

"Who else knows how to animate a fairy? Do you know how, Grunkle Stan?" Mabel asked, leaning in to her Grunkle, giving the direction of his face a raised eyebrow. When they gave her no answer, she said, "I didn't think so. So, unless someone else has a better idea, I say we go find those pretty little people and tell them to help a Mabel out."

"I..." Dipper tried arguing. There were flaws with this plan, too many flaws and unknown possibilities: the fairies wouldn't want to talk them probably, or they couldn't find the fairies, and there was no guarantee still that they would lift the curse should they help Mabel. Lastly, and Dipper found this particularly troubling; if they had considered this just now: why hadn't the fairies considered trying to animate the pixie, instead of cursing Mabel? Wouldn't it have made sense to rescue it and leave, rather than picking a fight with a human? But with their time a little more pressed, Dipper sighed, and finally nodded while saying, "It's the best we've got right now."

"Awesome!" Mabel cheered, shooting a fist above her with a little jump, "Let's go on a... on a..." Mabel opened her eyes again, fear shining through her brown pupils as she heaved again and again, and finally sneezed. The four other watched her with dread, and Mabel stared ahead, not seeing them still with her wide open eyes. "Uh..." she slowly murmured, and sniffed the air. To her surprise, she caught a whiff of something saucy and loaded with cheese. "Mmm, Pizza!" she announced loudly, and sniffed again, but then gagged, "Oh- Not pizza! Blech! Different smell, ew, ew, ew!"

"Just breathe with your mouth," Dipper told his sister with a small chuckle.

"Puh. Great, another lost sense," Mabel grumbled sadly. Dipper gave his sister a knowing look, and approached her. With a quick step to her side, he wrapped his arm around her own.

"Ready to go find those little jerks?" Dipper asked as Mabel gave him a calmed smile. She nodded, her mind excited just at the prospect of possibly being rid of this stupid curse already. Dipper's arm tugged her gently as he stepped forward, leading her to the front of the building.

"Wendy, we're staying here," Stan said from behind the two, placing a hand on her shoulder, "let the kids figure this one out."

"They could need our help," Wendy pointed out.

"Yup. That's why you all have half an hour, you hear me?" Stan warned them as the four teens stepped out the front door carefully with Mabel, "no excuses! The second after your time's up, I'm going in with my guns. And I don't mean my arms!"

"We'll be back, Grunkle Stan," Dipper waved over his shoulder as turned to assure his grand uncle of their safety, "just keep an eye out for those robbers."

Mabel hadn't taken but a step into the perimeter of the woods when a burst of static struck the four teens arms. The each gasped, stepping back while looking for the sudden source of electricity. Mabel had blinked, and her vision set upon a new pair of eyes while a small blue light flickered out of the woods.

"We thought you'd try this," came a very high pitched voice, as a tiny man with dragonfly wings bobbed into the air.

"Is that Binkie-Moon?" Grenda asked, and the Fairy rose up to her face, and glared into her, which was much less intimidating than the fairies intent.

"Twinkle-Moon, young lady," Twinkle moon growled as he flew back, still the size of an expected fairy, no larger than a small mouse.

"What the heck's with zapping us?" Dipper demanded, "I wasn't aware that your curse also had a sub-section of preventing us from going where we're allowed to go."

"Yes, that's why I'm here. Under normal circumstances, curses, like the ones laid on Mabel here," Twinkle-Moon indicated to Mabel, who was staring ahead as she watched a scene, absorbed in her visual senses, "are used as trackers. We only curse fairies who have committed dangerous crimes, and so we place borders around our forests to warn us should they be crossing our lands. It's supposed to knock them out, but you all seem relatively unscathed."

"Oh, look," Dipper looked to Grenda and Candy with a sardonic grin, "the fairy who let my sister get cursed was worried about us."

"I am doing my job as law interpreter," Twinkle-Moon argued his case defiantly, sounding more and more like a squeaking rodent or tiny insect, "as you were not made aware to our custom, it became imperative that I alert you to our border stun-field. It's the magic field you just passed that lets us known when-"

"Why haven't you switched to your taller self?" Candy interrupted suddenly.

"I- what?" Twinkle-Moon gaped.

"You're not taller. Why not? You're quite hard to listen to when you're this small," Candy tried saying carefully. Her intent to avoid insulting the diminutive creature failed, and his tiny face grew visibly red.

"At least I don't sound like some lumbering beast that can't-" Twinkle-Moon hastily grumbled under his breath, and continued, "as I said, the magical field alerts us to the passing of cursed individuals into our lands- but we didn't inform you, so-" a loud cry from Mabel had the group turn to her.

"Oh no," Mabel blinked, but kept her eyes open as she once again started to seek a new host, "oh no! We really, really are running on fumes for time!"

"Mabel?" Dipper asked worriedly.

"They're almost here," Mabel told her friends.

Behind them, just by the Mystery Manor, the sound of a vehicle echoed around; the sounds of gravel being tossed and scrapped against one another paired with the mild screeching of a tire. A large, rusted white-panel van had appeared, and to the horror of the group, five men, each tall and rather well built stepped out. They had the clean, unmistakable look of murderous intent.

"Get down!" Grenda warned, pushing down the twins as she and Candy dove behind a large tree. As the twins crawled behind a thick bush, Dipper poked his head above the leaves while Candy and Grenda looked around the trunk. The five robbers approached the Mystery Manor, looking between one another. Each had short hair, but they each had a different appearance. One was very tall and lanky, while another was short and portly, and another had very wide shoulders and was quite muscular. Their head, a man of average height but a large belly. He knocked on the door to the Manor, and waited. Soos answered, a wide grin on his face.

"Hello guests to the Gravity Falls Mystery Manor! Home of mysteries and stuff," Soos exclaimed happily to them, who seemed unimpressed, "we're the world famous tourist attraction for all your weird wants, crazy cravings, and zany... uh... zany..."

"We're looking for the twins who are supposed to be here," the head of the five declared, but leaned back as Soos held a hand up, scratching his head through his cap.

"Hold on," Soos held a hand up, still thinking, "zany... zany... you guys got anything that can go with a word with 'Z'?"

"Zoo?" One of the shrugged.

"Zebra?" another tried, and Soos nodded.

"Zany Zebras. Oh, that sounds better, yeah," Soos nodded, "I'm sorry to inform you, the Mystery Manor is closed for renovations. Like, I fell through the roof like fifteen times this week; pretty craaa-zaaay."

"We're not interested in a tour, or whatever this blatant tourist trap is. We want to, uh, speak to the twins who helped the police earlier this week," the leader explained loudly.

"We're going to beat them up!" the one with large shoulders growled, but the tall one, behind him, smacked his head, and he let off a series of hacking coughs, "I mean, beat them at a game because we wanted to... play games. Yeah."

Before Soos could reply, Stan pushed his way out from past Soos. Having heard the larger man's response, he stood his tallest, presenting himself as a large barrier to the building behind him.

"Gentlemen, I'm going to have to ask you to shove off," Grunkle Stan told them, taller than their leader as he was able to look down on him, his aged face furrowing with deliberation.

"Shove off, huh?" the front man of the group repeated, a vein twitching in his temple.

"Yeah, you heard me. They aren't here, and even if they would, you wouldn't get a chance to see them, you messed up maniacs," Stan told them off, pushing Soos back inside as he stepped backwards, "now get lost before I call the police and let them know their favorite gang of losers stopped by."

"You don't seem to understand," another member, a short, well built man growled, stepping up behind the portly man, "that there's five of us, and what, two of you?"

"I've had worse odds than you freaks," Stan said after giving them a look over and then slamming the door in their faces.

"Strugs," the head of the group said after a stunned pause in the crooks, "break their door down-"

"Wait," the tall man turned, having spotted something in the direction of the kids, who ducked when he turned his head to them, "boss, I think I just saw someone over there."

"So what?" the boss replied angrily.

"Looked like kids, you know, teenagers," the tallest man said particularly loudly. The four hiding in the woods exchanged scared faces, with exception of Mabel.

She had heard the tone in these people's voices. They really were willing to hurt Grunkle Stan, Soos, or Wendy if they thought it would get her and Dipper to come out for them to mess up. If they stayed hidden, the four kids may have a chance to avoid being spotted, but the three inside didn't stand a chance. Well, maybe they did- Grunkle Stan and Wendy both kept surprising everyone with their ability to walk out of tight spots mostly unscathed.

Even if they did have a chance to walk out of this, Mabel dared herself to think of how she would feel if she let them become hurt to protect her. Just on principle of the idea of her Grunkle or anyone inside that building getting hurt for her sake, her stomach dropped and her chest tightened.

Mabel knew she couldn't let them get into the shack. She grabbed Dipper's hand.

"What on earth is going on?" Twinkle Moon demanded, floating to Dipper and Mabel, who ignored him.

"Dipper, we need to run," Mabel told her brother. Dipper looked to her, his fingers tightening around her hand.

"I got the same idea," Dipper told her with a worried sigh, and he turned to the other two, "we need to pull them away from the Mystery Manor. When I give the cue, run into the woods. Make as much noise as you want a first, then just try to get away. Okay?"

"I understand," Candy nodded, and then adjusted her glasses.

"Let's show these suckers what it's like running through the woods," Grenda replied.

"Wait, if you go into the woods, will those men follow?" Twinkle Moon gasped, looking past the bush to the five men, who were preparing to charge into the tourist trap.

Mabel laughed nervously. She couldn't help herself. The four of them hiding behind a bush and a tree, about to go running into the woods for her life. It was scary and exhilarating, but it was the kind of plans she was used to by now. She sighed in once, using her training to remember her breathing technique for a nice, slow, steady stream of air. She exhaled and squeezed Dipper's hand once more.

"Now!" Dipper hissed, knocking aside Twinkle Moon accidentally, as the four of them darted into the woods.

The men by the shack had reacted exactly as they had predicted. Two of them cried out, calling in their direction as the four ran between trees and branches, deeper and deeper into the woods. As the birds and forest critters around them scattered and fled from their ruckus, four of the members ran after them, demanding they stop.

Minutes passed as the teens ran between areas of the woods, trying to avoid the crooks. For the most part it was easier- their smaller height made it easier to avoid the larger, low branches that the thicker areas of the woods had in plenty. But Grenda struggled keeping in pace, as her size made it increasingly difficult to keep up and keep breathing- she was a weight lifter, not a jogger. Mabel also was getting scratched up and was tripping on a lot of roots. Dipper was doing a fantastic job of keeping her mostly unharmed, but she would occasionally twist her head in a direction, thinking she heard the robbers from there. As a result, she would smack her head against thin, whip-like branches. She slowly collected scrapes across her face and neck.

"They're... still... coming!?" Dipper gasped after the four slid to a stop by a very large fallen tree over a rushing river, "Grenda, Candy, do you think you can get around them and back to the shack?"

"Of course!" Candy nodded, and patted Grendas shoulder, who was heaving and could only nod for Dipper.

"Okay, good luck!" Dipper called as the robber's voices grew closer. "Mable, let's go!"

"Gotcha!" Mabel said, letting herself be pulled again.

"Step here," Dipper hastily told her, stepping on the log, which was long enough to actually pass over a large section of a river below them, "and if you're going to fall, tell me."

"Huh? Do I hear water below?" Mabel gasped.

"Yeah," Dipper told her, looking behind him. Just in the distance, he could see movement in the undergrowth. "Oh no..." Dipper looked to the other side of the river, where a large, single bush waited for them. Even if they made it to that bush, their hunters would just come looking for them in that bush. They needed a diversion. "Mabel, run straight," Dipper told her as he pulled her ahead. Mabel followed orders, and they landed on the other side of the riverbed. "I need you to trust me now, okay?"

"Huh?" Mabel asked, now panicking- she knew that voice he just used. It was that kind of tone he used when he knew he was about to do something stupid, "Dipper-"

"No matter what you hear, stay in this bush," Dipper said, gently having his sister sit down in the bush, "and don't say anything, no matter what!"

"Wait-" she froze up as she felt him stand up. She didn't want him to go anywhere, especially anywhere near those jerks on the other side of the river.

"Don't worry," he assured her with a rub her hair, "I've got a plan!" and then he ran off, "Hey!" Dipper called, as his footsteps echoed from clanging on the log.

"There he is!" one of the robbers called, and Mabel placed a hand on her mouth. She couldn't believe it- was he planning on fighting them one-on-one on the log? Dipper was brave, but he wasn't stupid, or as trained as she was to think he should be able to.

"Mable, wait up!" Dipper called very loudly, and then Mabel gasped. There was a splash in the distance.

"Damn! He's going downstream!" another voice called out, "follow him!"

Mabel cupper her hand over her mouth to stifle her gasp as she felt the voices grow distant, as a cluster of dangerous, angry men chased after her brother. A brother who had just thrown himself into a fast flowing, freezing river. Mabel wanted to peek above this bush, see if was clear, and only felt the powerlessness of her situation to do even that. She sunk low into the earth, holding herself as the many voices of Mabel began their great debate.

What to do now? What _could_ she do now? She could head back over the log- the chances of seeing anyone now were small, and maybe she could get back to the Mystery Shack to have everyone back to help Dipper. But what if he comes back and she's not here? Mabel cringed at the mental image of Dipper's face if he looked around the bush and couldn't find her, defeated and wide-eyed. He'd probably assume they got her, and then just give up, the dumb boy. Would Dipper be okay? He just leapt into a river, and was being chased by four guys on foot, stronger and meaner than him. What was she supposed to do?

"Who's there?" a tiny, feminine voice called from around a tree nearby Mabel. Mabel gasped, and pushed herself further into the bushes. There was a fluttering of wings, and a groan. "Oh, it's you," a voice said in disgusted tones.

"Who is it?" Mabel shivered, aware she was speaking to a fairy, but unable to guess which it would be, "Bob, is that you?"

"Guess again, kidnapper," the voice spat at her.

"Jingle-Blossom," Mabel rolled her eyes behind her closed eyelids, and then she gasped. This was the fairy she was looking for still. "Hey, Jingle-Blossom, I need to talk to you!"

"Oh, you do, do you?"

"I know you hate me," Mabel said quietly, trying to keep her voice low to avoid being revealed, and then to speak sincerely to the small Fae before her, "and I probably deserve it. You think I stole your child, and that makes me a horrible person."

"So? Do you want forgiveness? I'm not in the mood for that," Jingle-Blossom told her heatedly, and Mabel could actually feel a sickly heat emanating from the fairy's direction.

"I thought you'd say that," Mabel sighed, "but I need you to understand something-"

"All I understand is that I can't have my child now, whenever I'd please, and that you're holding her ransom still!" Jingle-Blossom cried, and Mabel put a finger to her lips in a 'shh'.

"Quiet!" Mabel begged her.

"Why? Or those men will get you?"

"It's not just me they'd hurt if they got me," Mabel told her. The heat suddenly subsided, and Mabel took her chance, "they want me, but that doesn't mean they should hurt your baby! Do your crazy Fairy magic to help her out, and then take her away. She doesn't deserve to get hurt because of me."

"What... but I can't animate her," The Fairy sounded nervous, and her fluttering wings grew closer.

"Why not!?" Mabel demanded hurriedly.

"I... I'm not ready to be a parent," Jingle-Blossom told Mabel, "that's why I let my pixie drift. It could move freely around until I decided that it was time for me to become a mother."

"Oh," Mabel felt a twinge of regret deep inside her stomach, "Jingle-Blossom, I'm sorry... but I can't protect your pixie anymore! I can't see or smell anymore, and I don't know how long I have until I lose more senses."

"But your friends can protect my child," Jingle-Blossom stated, her standard tone of resentment and defiance returning, "why should I lift the curse for you?"

"Jingle-Blossom," Mabel reached out, and just by mere luck, managed to cup the small fairy in her hands, "you don't have to, okay? I get it. I want you to lift this stupid, sucky, spell that's totally ruining my life, but... if you're going to do anything, save the pixie?"

The pause was long and filled with the sounds of splashes of water passing by. All Mabel could do was hope this tiny being had enough pity on Mabel, and love for her yet-to-be-child that she would help.

"I..."

"I'm sorry," Mabel added, more guilt crashing on her, "I never wanted to force you to be a parent like this."

"I need to gather the good feelings," Jingle-Blossom declared, and he wings suddenly darted out from Mabel's hands.

"W-wait!" Mabel cried, and reached forward. At this point, any company would suit her better than being left in the woods. A few moments later, she was alone. Even the fading light sounds of twinkles that a fairy trailed when they floated away finally faded, and Mabel was left sitting in the bush.

She couldn't take it. Minutes passed with nothing but the sounds of passing river, and she gave herself a shaky nod. Standing up, she took a cautious step towards the log. Another, and another, until she felt her sneaker-clad foot touch the side of the dead wood. She gave herself one more deep sigh to balance herself, and then she calmly and steadily crossed the fallen log, her arms at her side.

Her weight hadn't accounted for the end of the log on the other side, and she stumbled forward, gasping as she reached her hands in front of her. Mabel could feel something just ahead of her, and she clutched ahead. Unfortunately, she misjudged the distance and jammed two of her fingers. A groan escaped her mouth as she hugged the tree and straightened herself up.

Maybe it was hitting the tree that loosened the droplet of water that fell down her back. Fate could not be as cruel as it was that moment, for Mabel, the instant she felt the tiny droplet, she tensed up and lunged forward, tripping on a root and slamming into the pine-needle covered ground. She had avoided shivering, but she then groaned. A sharp pain rose up through the entire side of her arm, and she yelled as she clutched it, feeling a faint trail of blood. Mabel gritted her teeth and pulled her arm away, the burning pain growing stronger with her touch. She had scraped her arm roughly against a root below her, but as she bit down on her molars, she felt a familiar sensation inside her head.

Both of her ears had popped.

The chirping of the birds, the rushing of the water, the breeze over her head, everything she had been clinging to so readily around her no longer could reach her. She could only feel the pain of her arm and the earth below her. Mabel forgot to breathe, the sense of total isolation more overwhelming and terrifying than anything she had ever encountered. Her lungs cried out for air, and she gave a shaking breath, one which she could feel would bring tears soon. She was alone now. Her legs pulled up to her arms, and she hugged herself, no longer remembering where she was.

People were out there to get her, and now she wouldn't even have a clue as to when they would come for her. Her eyes were glued shut, trying to stem the flow of tears falling from her eyes. There was nothing she could do about her rattling breathing, even as she wondered how long it would be until someone found her- friend or foe, just a pathetic mess of a person.

"Then don't feel," a voice deep inside her head suddenly told her. Mabel felt her lips open and a sharp intake of breath indicated she gasped. The memory of her mentor, once again reminding her of something she had known all this time. "Senses can be lied to. We just have to trust ourselves when they're being fooled."

"How do I trust myself if can't even believe what I see with my own googly-eyes?" Mabel had asked, tired from the exercise her teacher had her go through.

"We have to know ourselves; not just now how we feel," her master had grinned, patting her head, "know how we act, how we want things, and how we respond to the world."

"That sounds like more boring sitting," Mabel had replied.

"Meditation," her teacher corrected her. "Remember, that little light we see is more than just colors and a distant feeling. It's something more."

_Something more._ A flicker of hope passed over her mind as Mabel thought to the idea of what she could do. Sure she was blind, and deaf, and couldn't smell anything around her anymore, only left with the physical touch to inform her of her surroundings. Her hands stretched below her, she felt her way to the ground again, and sat down. Legs crossed, she began, once again, to let herself calm. For once, there was nothing but the feeling of her own being and the earth below her that called her attention. She could feel that light, supposedly distant and unreachable, within her grasp.

Her body calmed, the stress washing away as she took in breath after breath. That light was closer than it had ever been. She could almost feel the rays of its light washing over her. It was stunning to feel this sense of calm, and in her wonder, she considered if she could actually 'focus' her sight to someone. Anyone's senses, at this point, would be preferable, as opposed to being blind and deaf. She let her focus draw outward, and she thought about the surrounding forests. She then opened her eyes, and clenched her teeth as hard as she could and her ears crackled a little.

She could see into the woods again. It wasn't her vision, but someone was walking through the woods, and she heard rugged breathing. Her heart raced at the concept of having actually nailed it- she was able to grab someone in the woods. They didn't seem to be chasing after Dipper, or even running for that matter. The idea Mabel had after this thought was crazy. Heck, Dipper would have turned to her and told her it was just darn stupid to do what she was about to do. That wouldn't stop her though.

"HEY!" Mabel cried out. At least she felt her body tense up in the way she expected herself to when shouting. Then, barely half a second after she shouted, her voice found its way to the person. The person turned their head, and Mabel saw herself, her eyes wide open, looking away from the person.

"Well," the voice that spoke from the person wasn't one she knew, and it was one of pleasure and excitement, darker and meaner than Mabel had been praying for, "glad you could finally show yourself, missy."

"Crud," Mabel groaned, barely audible from the person as he approached her, cracking his knuckles just under his vision. The man stepped through a bush as she stood up. It was very odd to think of trying to move herself in accordance to another persons vision. Mabel wasn't entirely sure how to do it, but accustomed herself quickly, moving her arms wildly, even hopping on the spot as the man casually approached her.

"So, here's how this can happen, girl," the man said as he grew closer, "you tell me how it was you were clever enough to figure out my plans, or I'll convince you to do that with a little more... vigor."

"Oh, well that's easy," Mabel told him, still not facing him directly, looking ahead into the woods past the man as he finally was a few feet from her and stopped.

"Oh yeah? Let's hear it then," the man told her.

"I ate a pixie, and saw your plans through your own eyes," Mabel grinned, happy to tell the truth. However, the man closed his eyes and sighed, when he opened them, he took a step to her, leaning in, and she instinctively stepped away quicker.

"That's cute. Now, what's the truth?"

"That is the truth. I mean, I'm looking through your eyes right now!" Mabel told him, backing away while staring at his chest.

He made his move with a frustrated roar. Mabel had the luck of seeing the body tense up from his own eyes, and moved accordingly. She wove to his side, passing by a tree, and sadly to Mabel, out of his vision. The man spun as she blinked, and she re-focused again, letting her mind hone in on the area around here, and as she opened her eyes, she saw herself facing him, and she let herself grin.

"See? I don't need to watch you because I see everything you do," Mabel told him, "Like an eye-switching wizard! Eye-zard!"

The man clearly didn't enjoy the analogy. He again rushed at her, his body twisting for a powerful sweeping punch across her head. She ducked down, rolled forward, and prepared a leap back up, kicking behind her as she did. Her foot slammed into a soft region of his body, and she heard him shout. Her vision was now hobbling, and the man looked down to his leg. She had just kicked at his hamstring, and he clutched it.

"Whoops! Looks like nearly blind girl hit something she didn't mean to," Mabel shrugged to herself as the man looked to her, "and- whoa, my hair is a mess! Hold still for a second," Mabel told him, reaching behind herself as she ran her hands and fingers through her tangled hair, pulling it straight, and then as she saw through the man's eyes. She even spun, and gasped, catching a large knot on the exact center of the back of her head. "See? I couldn't have seen that without your help." As she faced away, she blinked, and again re-focused herself to see through his senses.

"That's enough," the man growled, standing back up, his hands reaching inside his pocket. Mabel knew she would only have a moment to act. As his vision darted to his pocket, she pushed herself forward in a run. By the time the man heard her attack, and turned up to see her, she was already mid-air.

Mabel swiped the air with her foot, smashing the side of the man's face. She almost forgot to land as her vision blanked out for a single moment and he roared, grabbing at his head, blocking the side of his vision. Mabel couldn't act again until he looked her way, but by the way he was cowering in the ground, she had made sure that wouldn't be happening.

"Ha, uh, so, you just stay down there, stupid. Yeah, or else you're going to get another helping of Mabel power!" Mabel called to him, sounding distant. "Wait, I'm not even facing the right way, am I? Shoot-" Mabel cut herself out. There was a loud rumbling boom from elsewhere. Her vision turned in the direction of the sound. There were screams now, running from the sounds of yet more echoing crashes and booms. Mabel's opponent stood up, still holding a hand to his injured head, and the two saw it at the same time.

Four full grown men, all members of the Five Freaky Friends, were running from an absolutely gigantic bear with, what Mabel could quickly count, at least six or seven heads and legs and paws. The man stumbled back, and tripped, giving Mabel a quick glance of the treetops, but she then regained her standard vision. She was able to spot herself briefly in the chaos, and step behind a tree as the five men stumbled together, facing the massive bear.

"MABEL!?" Dipper's voice shouted loudly as the five men huddled, caught between the sounds of the massive bear growling at them, and what Mabel had seen from the man's vision, a large log.

"Dipper! Watch out! There's a many-bear on the loose!" Mabel shouted aloud. She heard footsteps coming her way from the bear, but not loud or heavy enough to belong to the beast. Was Dipper just walking past the monstrous beast?

"Mabel," Dipper said, and Mabel felt a poke on her shoulder, "hey, I'm here."

"But- what's going on?" she asked, focusing all her attention on Dipper, and following procedures to get a new vision partner. She blinked, and she grinned to see herself through Dipper's eyes, and hear the world through Dipper's ears.

"I brought a friend. Let me introduce you to him," Dipper said, cupping her hand in his own, and leading her around the tree.

Just as Mabel had seen, Dipper was looking at a massive, multi-headed bear that easily towered over the men, not even standing on its hind legs. Each head was easily large enough to swallow a small child whole, and it growled angrily at the five men, who were at a loss as how to act, looking between the many heads.

"Multi-bear, this is my sister, Mabel," Dipper told the bear, looking to Mabel once, allowing her the chance to double-check her appearance, "remember, she's cursed so she can't see with her own eyes right now."

"I can see you, Mister Multi-bear!" Mabel announced, "I can see through Dipper right now."

"A pleasure to meet you," the bear turned away from the crooks, a 'primary' head speaking. It was the head mostly centered around what seemed to be the main shoulders of the bear, and gave a small smile to Mabel, its dark eyes peering at where Mabel was sure her face was. "DO NOT MOVE! I will not hesitate to take actions not deemed civil to restrain you." The bear roared suddenly. One of the crooks had started to move away, but as they discovered, its other heads were still watching them avidly. "You look much like your brother, Mabel Pines."

"Oh. My. God. You can talk!" Mabel hopped in place, excitement running through her entire body as Dipper looked between her and Multi-Bear, who seemed to enjoy Mabel's excitement, "that is so, sooo cool! How come you never introduced me to this guy!?" Mabel tried turning to Dipper, and spun the opposite direction to smack a tree. "Ow! Sorry tree," Mabel apologized, and then smacked Dipper as she spun again, and nailed his stomach with a slap.

"I'll get the formal information out later," Dipper told her, "but right now, we have these jerk-offs to deal with," Dipper walked with Mabel to be aside Multi-Bear, staring at the crooks. "Do we let him eat them? Or should we-"

"We found them!" a voice called from the distance. Dipper's eyesight moved to look past Mabel, and she turned her head in instinct. The rescue party had arrived- Grenda and Candy lead the charge with Stan and Soos following suit, a baseball bat in his hands while Stan had his shotgun in his arms.

"Uh... good bear," Grunkle Stan awkwardly said as his party arrived, looking at the six foot tall bear on all fours. "Don't eat us, I'm just trying to-"

"Do not worry, friends of Dipper," the bear informed them, shocking the five others as they arrived, "he has informed me that we would be receiving help. I will not harm you; you may approach."

"Oh... uh, thanks," Grunkle Stan nodded to the bear, and he turned his attention to the criminals. "So, you chumps, here's the deal. You walk back to my shack, where the cops will be waiting. You go quietly, or we all get a turn on each of you before we let jumbo over here go nuts on you. How's that plan sounding for ya?"

Multi-bear let out a earth trembling rumble by each of his heads, and the men looked like the blood in their faces were drained instantly. It was a unanimous decision by the five men: they would go quietly.

With Multi-bear in tow, the Gravity Falls team escorted the Five Freaky Friends to the Mystery Manor, where, once again, the entire Gravity Falls police department awaited the gang. Multi-bear waited in the woods while the humans did their job, explaining what had happened.

"Oh, don't worry," Sherriff Blubs informed the listening group, "they blew their chances coming after you all. These suckas are going to be spending a long, long time behind bars."

"Ohhh boyyy," Deputy Durland grinned excitedly at the last gang member being pushed into a patrol car, "I'm going to enjoy poking you with the stun stick!"

"I'm good thing you all were together when they decided to jump them, huh?" Sherriff Blubs stated, and gave a tip of his hat, "well, stay safe you kids. Mister Pines."

"Yeah, yeah, dramatic Police exit," Grunkle Stan waved the police off lazily, and turned to Mabel, who was seeing through Dipper still, "Sweety, you want to go inside? I'll treat us to something slightly-better than what we're used to eating."

"Huh? Oh, I'm okay. A little scratched up though," Mabel announced, pointing to her still wounded arm.

"Okay you two," Stan rounded on Grenda and Candy, "You two need to scram. You've been here practically all day, and I don't need your folks figuring out that I had you both around for this madness."

"Mabel may still need our help," Candy replied quickly, stepping next to her friend.

"Yeah! We still need to fix her curse!" Grenda agreed.

"Its okay guys," Mabel told them, "my Grunkle is right. We'll catch up later, okay?" Mabel asked them, a full smile on her face. She received a double sided hug as her two friends smashed her between their bodies, and her breath was knocked out of her. "Now that's bone crushing!" Mabel joked, air flowing back into her lungs.

"Bye guys!" Dipper told the two teens as they began climbing back into the Van belonging to Grenda's family. As the van departed, the deep steps of Multi-bear thundered behind them.

"It is good to know you have not lost yourself to age, Dipper," Multi-bear stated, "I had always worried that should I meet my only human friend you would have changed for worse."

"Ah, come on, man," Dipper said, laying a hand on the bridge of Multi-bears snout, "I'm still me. I'm just glad you're still around- running into the cave on the mountain was a gamble."

"Indeed. Many other creatures have tried inhabiting my cave in recent years," Multi-bear affirmed, "but none have been able to best me as you had. I have not forgotten your humility when defeating me."

"Huh?" Grunkle Stan and Mabel both stated at once. Had Dipper, in some way or form, beaten this creature of unearthly size? Surely he meant in a mental match.

"Hey, it was a misunderstanding," Dipper rubbed the back of his head as he spoke to the bear, "you know we're buds, right?"

"Otherwise, I would probably would not have aided you, my friend," Multi-bear nudged Dipper's chest with his nose, accidentally pushing Dipper back with his strength. Dipper laughed, giving the monstrous creature a welcoming rub on his ears. "I must depart. The night is coming, and I am certain the Manotaurs will attempt to plague me again this night with their incessant hollering. Dipper, Mabel, Stanley, I bid you a good day," Multi-bear bowed his head, and turned, his body rocking as he walked back into the woods.

"Goodbye! Stop by whenever!" Mabel cheered after the bear, facing the wrong way.

"Not without a warning!" Grunkle Stan shouted quickly following Mabel, "you know, in case a tourist is in. Don't need them seeing that. Ruin business and what not."

"Wow... that was the sweetest monster I think we've ever met," Mabel said in awe, watching the bear leave through Dipper's eyes, "well, except Mermando."

"Mermando was fine, but Multi-bear is awesome," Dipper stated as the bear vanished into the brush. "I should go see him later or something," Dipper added, nodding at his idea as he stared after his inhuman friend.

"I wanna come!" Mabel declared.

"I don't know," Dipper sighed as he thought, "I mean, he just met you... then again when we first met, I tried to put a spear into his heart, so... I guess you got a better impression on him than I did."

"You two have some pretty crazy stories," Grunkle Stan admitted as Dipper turned away from the woods.

"Not as crazy as yours," Dipper poked his Grunkle, who chuckled. The older man adjusted his glasses, and then looked past Dipper. His humored grin faded, and Dipper turned. Mabel saw exactly the same thing- a single, pink bobbing light approaching them, with two other lights behind the first

"Oh great," Dipper growled, "them again."

"The fairies?" Grunkle Stan growled, "let me get the bug-spray."

"No! Wait," Mabel demanded, pushing past Dipper accidentally, but he turned and caught her before she stumbled and fell," they're not here to cause any trouble. I think."

"Good. Because that's when the bug spray comes out," Grunkle Stan warned Mabel, and turned to watch the approaching tiny beings. They came to float directly before Dipper and Mabel.

"Ah," Twinkle-Moon cleared his throat, as he fluttered ahead of Jingle-Blossom, who seemed more diminutive than she had ever before, "we would like to discuss the terms of your curse, Mabel Pines."

"I'm listening," Mabel nodded, Dipper helping her to turn and face the small humanoids.

"In accordance to Fairy law, someone in physical possession of a Pixie is the supreme authority on its wellbeing, and therefore-"

"WHAT!?" Dipper shouted, almost knocking the fairies out of the air with his burst, "You kind of dropped the ball in letting us know that one!"

"We were under the impression humans had a similar law!" Bob the fairy soared to Dipper with a plea in his voice, "it was along the lines of 'finders keepers'?" Dipper slapped his hand to his face.

"That's a stupid expression kids use when they steal stuff to make it sound better," Dipper told them, his hand muffling his voice.

"Well, regardless of origin," Twinkle-Moon continued, "under suggestion of Jingle-Blossom, we have come to a new offer. Events in the forest have proven that you clearly are willing to protect the Pixie even after being cursed, and as such, we would like to ask permission for Jingle-Blossom to awaken her child."

"Yes! I agree! As long as the curse put on me goes away forever," Mabel asked carefully.

"You were protecting my child," Jingle-Blossom stated, fluttering closer to Mabel, a sincere voice speaking the words that Mabel had not heard the fairy speak before, "I believe you never wanted to hurt it now. You have my promise to remove the curse."

Mable felt, for the millionth time that day, tears slide down her cheeks. She nodded, and she felt tiny hands reach against her neck, and a bubbling warmth radiated through her skin. It was almost enough for her to cough. But the sensation grew, and she seized up. It wasn't going to be a cough, but a sneeze, and she let it fly. A blast of sparkling energy and rainbows blasted out of Mabel's nose and mouth, along with it, a tiny, skinny, pale-pink, tiny winged, human-looking fairy.

Mabel wiped her eyes and blinked. Her brain finally processed her own vision for the first time in an entire day- she could hear from her own ears again, and she let in a deep whiff from her nose, and smelled that same fairy-smell she had before. It was the most liberating and freeing sensation she had ever felt.

"Oh, my baby," Jingle-Blossom quietly moaned, fluttering over to her newly animated child. Shockingly, the fairy was even larger than her mother, "oh my baby!" she hugged the disoriented new-born fairy.

"Do all fairies look like they are adults when they're born?" Dipper asked Bob.

"Of course. We don't really have children, as you humans do. Our young are entirely decided by how long they have lived as we do," Bob explained as the newborn shook its head.

"Wow. I want to do that again!" the fairy declared, trying to fly back to Mabel.

"No, no, sweety, you need to pick a name, if you want to. Do you want to pick a name for yourself?" Jingle-Blossom pulled her child back, and looked into its eyes.

"Name? Name..." it looked at Mabel, and its eyes fell onto her sweater, "Rainbow-Star!"

"Welcome to the world, Rainbow-Star," Jingle-Blossom hugged her child, "have you decided if you want to be a boy or girl yet?"

"Okay, that's an option for fairies?" Dipper asked.

"Of course it is!" Bob spluttered, "what, are humans born without an option or something sick like that?"

"Uh..." Dipper wasn't entirely sure how to reply to his outcry.

"Thank you, Mabel," Jingle-Blossom nodded to the teen, "I am so sorry for the pain I must have caused you. Please, remember that you kept safe my child-"

"Girl! I'm going to be a girl!" Rainbow-Star declared.

"-My daughter," Jingle-Blossom said, teary-eyed, tightly hugging her daughter.

"Goodbye," Mabel waved to the fairies as they left the property, disappearing into the woods one fairy more than they had come with. "You know, they aren't all that bad once you get past the whole 'they cursed you for a day' sort of thing."

"Carry bug spray for now on, just in case we run into them again?" Dipper asked his sister, and she turned to him.

"Ab-so-lutely," she nodded. The last signs of the flying balls of light began to fade into the trees, into the growing dark of the day. It's colors them promted something deep within Mabel's mind. Without warning, a light bulb flashed within her, and she recalled something that needed finishing. "Shoot!" she spun and ran for the Mystery Manor, blasting past Dipper and Grunkle Stan.

"Mabel? What's wrong?" Dipper called as he hurried to keep up with her, concerned at the outburst.

"Nothing!" she shouted back as she skidded past Wendy, who stepped quickly aside for the oncoming girl.

"Nice to see you in full working status, girl," Wendy grinned as Mabel scanned the floor hastily, looking for a small cardboard box.

"Thanks! Where's the-" Mabel asked, moving between racks of merchandise.

"Dude," Wendy called as Dipper and Stan walked through the door. Mabel turned to spot Wendy pointing towards the side of the counter, and she gasped. It was done, exactly as she had hoped it would be.

"YES!" Mabel cried out, and ran towards the poster, clutching it, and then heading for the stairs, passing a startled Soos, who also dived out of the way. Only Dipper followed, smiling gently as he casually walked up the stairs after his sister.

"How does it look?" Dipper asked as he found his sister taping the collage of their pictures, a collection of magazine cut-outs, and a big title of "Mystery Twins Base of Operations" on their door.

"Looks perfect."

* * *

><p>Happy Post-Halloween!<p>

Yeah, a little late on that one, but a schedule is a schedule. Sorry if I bummed anyone out because I didn't update on Friday. I also hope you had a great time either out trick or treating, or partying with friends. I, myself, had a wonderful time with peeps as a pirate.

Because, I am a pirate. A real pirate. (Suddenly EZB is dressed like captain jack sparrow, and has a pretty dang good impression of him too) Now, let's get this salty dog a proper ending. Savvy? (EZB's dorm is suddenly the bridge of the Black Pearl, and the Kraken is beginning to pull it closer to its gaping maw) Not today, beasty! (EZB pulls out a lightsaber cutlass, and charges forward with a grenade launcher in the other hand) Time for some calamari, mate!

(EZB and the Black Pearl STILL goes down with the Kraken into the depths.)


	10. Identity-exe Not Found: Part 1

The Mystery Shack had always been a subject of curiosity, praise, and scorn to the town of Gravity Falls. For years, the sole proprietor, Stanford Pines, ran the building as a conman and shyster. He would falsely advertise and claim to provide services and merchandise at discounts, only to then sweep his victims from under his rug of promises and claim the entire wallet. Not that any of the tourists would know this- the man was a brilliant speaker and was voraciously charismatic. Those meeting him for the first time were usually stunned or bedazzled by his antics, or his tours through the building. It was luck for the town that he continued his services after the incident three years ago.

The Gravity Falls Mystery Manor, as it was soon to become, would be even more a benefit for the small, sleepy town. Stanford Pines was increasing his repertoire from a salesman to a twisted Motel owner. His reputation remained the same, but his influence of incoming visitors from the roads around the town was undeniable. He was an asset the town cherished.

"Don't cheap out on me!" Grunkle Stan shouted at the collection of construction workers who were guiding in a large truck of supplies along side the building, "I want this looking good enough for any shmoe to wants to stay a night!" A small breeze jostled the Fez he wore atop his head, and with a small grunt he bopped it back to place.

The day had finally come. The company Weytani-Yuland had finally passed judgment on the building, and found it up to code to tack on approximately five motel rooms. Each would easily be fit for a family of five for a night or two. Just the thought of the money Grunkle Stan could charge for on of those nights made him wring his hands together with excitement. To top if off, the company would have it done in only a few days.

"Oh, this is finally happening," Grunkle Stan grinned as he turned to the overseer behind him, "So, how long s'this going to take?"

"I'd wager maybe a week or two? We'll be out of your hair before you know it," the overseer, a proper looking man in a simple dark suit with a clean shaven face said with ease. "We're proud that there's someone who trusts our company motto- building better bases."

"Yeah, yeah, company pride and stuff, good for you. Now just do the work I'm paying you for- and don't leave a mess when you're done!" Grunkle Stan turned away, and started for the door to the gift shop. He stepped inside, quickly passing by the ever vigilant Wendy Corduroy at her post, and Soos, peering out the window to watch the construction crew do their work.

"I hope they do a good job," Soos worried aloud, picking at the rim of his shirt.

"Soos, these aren't the cheepos we're used to dealing with. They're a hard working contract company," Grunkle Stan told him with a roll of his eyes, "so quit staring or they'll think you're stalking them."

"I think Soos may be even more protective of this shop than you are, Mister Pines," Wendy jested with a grin, barely poking her head from behind the days paper.

"Oh! I could never care as much as Mister Pines!" Soos told Wendy with a gasp, "I'm sure his affection for this home of his goes much deeper than my superficial appreciation of this... home away from home..." Soos turned back to the window, glaring at the men, "they better not hurt her foundations."

"And that just got a little weird," Stan mentioned to Wendy, who shrugged. "You seen either of my grand-kids? I don't need either of them trying to ask those workers around if they know what that blue glowy thing is."

"I think Dipper is still upstairs," Wendy answered as she turned a page, "Mabel was just here. I think she's also spying on the guys, but for different reasons."

"Huh? Want to _not_ make that cryptic?" Stan asked. On cue, Mabel walked through the door behind Stan, a sullen face and crestfallen look in her eyes.

"No luck," she sighed as she pulled over a small crate to Wendy's post, "the cutest one of them was only a three at best."

"Really? Construction workers?" Stan rounded on his grand-niece, eyeing her with disapproval, "at least the last summer you were here you kept it to your own age group."

"One of them could have been eighteen!" Mabel declared, "and a hottie. With bubbly blue eyes and great skin and muscles and-"

"I don't need to hear any of this, none at all," Grunkle Stan turned, frowning hard. The grand-uncle had no inclination to know or understand the romantic life of the young teenager.

"Sorry, you kind of let me in on the whole birds and the bees, so I guess I feel-" Mabel started, but was stunned as Grunkle Stan's eyes shot wide as he whipped around and stared at her.

"E-excuse me, that's news to me!" Grunkle Stan barked, holding a hand to his chest, "Am I going senile? When did that happen!? Why did that happen!?"

"Oh... uh..." Mabel looked past Grunkle Stan as she pondered the correct answer. Truthfully, she was in Dipper's body when Grunkle Stan had pulled what he thought was Dipper aside to tell him about the birds and the bees. Mabel had endured one of the most traumatizing moments of her life due to that body-switching day. She had forgotten she or Dipper never fully explained the event to him. "You hit your head and forgot! With a big 'ol whump!"

"Huh. That could have been awkward then... man, what was I even thinking," Grunkle Stan rubbed the back of his head, the tiniest red flourish in his cheeks, "telling you anything from the man's side of the story."

"Eh, translation wasn't crazy hard in ninth grade," Mabel assured him easily, "better than my acne breakout in eighth. Ugh."

"Well, don't come crying to me with life shattering revelations later," Stan waved a lazy hand above his shoulder as he calmed down, "speaking of revelations and crying, where is your brother?"

"Hah, crying," Mabel snickered as she grinned at her Grunkle, "upstairs. I think he's doing that moody 'research thing again'."

"With the blue thing?" Wendy asked, and Mabel shrugged, "he must be going crazy at this point. I mean, he wanted to figure this out soon, didn't he?"

"You know my bro-bro," Mabel told them both, "won't stop or shower until he figures out what's up."

"That reminds me- when are you two leaving again?" Stan said, turning for the kitchens, where a calendar hung on the wall in the hallway.

"Huh?" Mabel leant forward, looking at the older man. She hadn't quite understood his question, and frowned at him as he turned to her expectantly. "Oh, oh yeah. Uh, I don't know."

"How long were you going to stay?" Grunkle Stan asked again.

"Two weeks," Mabel shrugged, trying to hide inside her mind the angry voice that protested the idea of leaving so soon.

"Then you have six more days up here," Grunkle Stan wrote on the calendar with a large pen, marking the days they had left. Mabel gasped and stood up, hurrying over to the calendar. Indeed, already eight days had passed since they'd been here. She had less than a week to enjoy a visit with her fine friends and her extended family in the Mystery Manor.

"No way. I hate it when time does that!" Mabel groaned angrily as she placed a hand on the wall as her mind processed the bad news.

"What's up?" her brother's voice called down as his footsteps heralded his descent to the first floor, "what's on the calendar?"

"Our time left, Dip!" Mabel turned to him, clutching his shoulders, and pulling him to face the calendar, "we've got less than a week left until we're gone!"

"Yeah, I know," Dipper shrugged himself under her hands and walked into the gift shop, "it's why we need to focus on this stupid little thing and figure it out already! We're dealing with a mystery of... of..." Dipper angrily reached inside his pocket, whipping out the object on everyone's mind, "whatever this is, and I'm still not one clue closer to what it is!"

"You try electrifying it?" Wendy suggested from behind her magazine.

"Oh, that could be cool," Mabel hummed as she gave the idea thought, "we could throw it into a power transformer down in the town."

"That sounds like a great way to loose it," Dipper stated as he took Mabels former seat next to Wendy, twirling the cylinder in his hands.

"We've got two! We can afford to loose one," Mabel declared as she looked to Dipper, and then her eyes lit up, "Here, I'll go get the other one!"

"I've got them both," Dipper called as Mabel started to run, giving her a screeching halt and she tripped on the end of a rug, collapsing to the floor. Dipper and Wendy both leaned past the counter to see if she was fine, and were presented with a loud chuckle.

"That was fun," Mabel giggled as she laid flat on her back.

"Don't dig too far down, you guys," Soos breathed worriedly, still standing by the window as he peered outside. Dipper was taken off guard, and whipped to his friend.

"Oh, hey, Soos," Dipper asked loudly, trying to pry the man-child's attention away from eyeing the working men outside, "you wouldn't happen to have a pair of rubber gloves and a spare car battery, would you? Maybe some electrical wires too?" Dipper asked. Soos didn't seem to register Dipper was even there, his eyes intently glaring at the workers. "Soos?" Dipper asked again.

"He's gone into 'watch dog' mode since they got here," Wendy explained with a small grin, "won't leave that window. I think he's afraid of their discover of your Uncle's little secret downstairs."

Dipper's eyes widened at the mentioning of the unmentionable secret. Three years had passed since the absolute mess of a secret of what was buried underneath Gravity Falls had been revealed, and Dipper had made it a tightly locked secret between him and his sister that no one would speak about it.

It was too ridiculous to believe to begin with, so they really just saved themselves a lot of trouble sounding insane. The machine deep below the Shack hadn't been activated since, as promised by Stanford Pines to the twins. It had caused all sorts of havoc, let alone the near destruction of the entire region. Yet here was Wendy, grinning at Dipper's shocked face, as she spoke openly about it.

"Ha, ha, yeah, uh, maybe we shouldn't talk about, you know, that thing," Dipper rubbed the back of his head, "because, you know, there are strangers outside?"

"C'mon man, lighten up," Wendy told him with a nudge of her elbow, "they're busy working now. They only have, like, a week to finish it all, so they won't be messing around and listening into our 'secret conversations'," Wendy made particularly wide eyes and dropped her voice to mysterious dark tones as she spoke. Dipper laughed, nodding his head in agreement.

"Maybe I should ask them if they've heard about this?" Dipper held one of the cylinders up to the light, twisting his hand to examine it's entire body.

"Absolutely not!"

Grunkle Stan appeared behind Mabel, his hands at his hips as he stared at Dipper. Dipper almost dropped the unknown object- the tone his Grunkle had used was much, much more serious than he had anticipated. His hard eyes told Dipper he wouldn't have a second chance to debate with his elder relative.

"Last thing we need is anyone thinking we have anything else going on other than the work here. That includes showing people strange glowy things," Grunkle Stan rounded on Mabel as well, who shrugged in response. "You got it?" Grunkle Stan asked Dipper.

"Fine, no one else will be involved," Dipper sighed in defeat, and Grunkle Stan turned back for the inside of the home. Dipper's instincts agreed with Stan on this one. As much as the chance that someone could hold the answer wetted his need to ask around, should someone really discover that they had something truly unknown, more questions could be asked about their daily doings. Dipper knew that could lead to attention to certain organizations; dangerous organizations. "Ugh! We're running out of time with this thing."

"Maybe it's just one of those things?" Wendy asked with an apologetic look to Dipper. He rounded on her, and she continued, "look man, some things are not solved when you want them to be, right?"

"Not if I have something to say about it," Dipper replied strongly a hand to his chin as he began to pace. As he had done upstairs while looking through the journal, he began to list off what he knew, "it's of untellable origin, no markings, creates light, acts as an occasional two-way communicator, and we found it under Grunkle Stan's casket. Nothing about this seems to add up!"

"Maybe that's because you need a break," Mabel suggested, slipping past him to sit next to Wendy, bouncing her feet from the side of the crate.

"We were just talking about how little time we have," Dipper sighed in frustration, "what, six days? If we're supposed to really solve this mystery, we need to focus our time to it! There has to be something we've missed."

"Maybe we need to put them in water," Mabel guessed, and then gasped, "I can totally call Mermando! Maybe he knows what they are! I still remember how to do the underwater summon!" Mabel let out a raspy, gurgling cry that resembled a squirrel having a stroke.

"Mable, be serious here. Jumping to conclusions like that has gotten us off our course all week. We ran into the Warlock because we weren't studying fully, and we almost got you cursed because we thought we should just meditate instead of focus on this," Dipper said with a heated glance to his sister.

"What? What's all that supposed to mean?" Mabel stood up from the crate, poking her brother's shoulder with a quirky smirk, "sounds like you got beef, pardner."

"Well, it's not like I've been really jumping off course here with the investigation, have I?" Dipper rounded on his sister, irritated with her poke. Mable rolled her eyes, easily telling that he was not pleased with her nonchalant attitude.

"Dude, relax," Mable patted his shoulder, "it was two delays. Two minor delays. That's all! Nothing really bad came of it, right?"

"We lost five days of time up here because of one of those _minor_ delays," Dipper replied, a tiny hint of mocking in his voice.

"Okay, so a little bit off course, sure," Mable nodded, trying to appease to the disapproval bubbling inside Dipper. "That doesn't mean we still can't figure this out- here!" Mabel got the brilliant idea the reach and snatch the cylinder from her brother's hand. He didn't get much of a chance to react to her first theft as she quickly swiped a hand into his pocket and pulled out the second. She then pulled them to her face, with a "Beep boop!"

"Hey- Mabel!" Dipper shouted as she turned away, observing them for herself, almost pushing them into her own eyes as she peered closely at them.

"Quiet Dipper- I'm science-ing," Mabel told her brother as she looked into the lights before her, and the smiled, "they're really pretty up close! I kinda wanna take a picture of them."

"That's great. Give them back Mabel," Dipper asked as he stepped around and made to snatch them back. Mabel spun away, still staring into them. "Mabel, come on, give them back." he tried again to snatch them away, and she followed suit with a spin. "Mabel, cut that out."

"I'm busing doing investigatory work!" Mabel defended herself with a giggle, now running away from her brother.

"Mabel! Come one!" Dipper shouted, chasing after his sister. She dived and wove between each attempt he made to retrieve the two stolen artifacts, "Mabel, give them back now!"

"Nuh-uh! Gotta go through the prime guardian, Mabel the mysterious!" Mabel wove her arms like noose noodles out on either side of her body. Dipper dived for her and she side-stepped him quickly. Again and again Dipper made to snatch them away from his martially adept sister, but she made it a game for herself, a game she was clearly winning.

"Oh c'mon Mabel," Wendy had been laughing, but had just noticed the deadly determined and furious look in her brother's eyes, "give your brother a break, give them back."

"Fiiiine," Mable tossed the two cylinders behind her lazily. Dipper gasped and barely caught them as Mabel turned, "All you had to do was ask, dude."

"I DID ASK!" Dipper roared, his face going a bright red. Mabel leaned back, all aspects of humor torn away by his scream.

"Whoa, is Dipper here?" Soos suddenly turned from the window, and saw the twins facing each other. "Oh... uh, hi guys? Did I miss something-"

"You see what I mean?" Dipper stepped close to his sister, "all I wanted was a chance to really sit down with you and get working on this, and the first thing you do is take them away and run around like an idiot with them! How exactly did that help with our progress!?"

"It was just a little fun, Dip," Mabel tried grinning, only getting half her mouth to follow orders and the grin coming off awkwardly. The anger in his eyes was very real as she faced him.

"Time? Remember? We don't have all that time to mess around!" Dipper barked at her, his temper leading his words. She tightened mouth rigidly, refusing to frown.

"Okay, fine, jeesh Dipper," Mabel said, letting out an exasperated moan. "We'll do the stupid research or whatever, okay?" That hadn't been what Dipper wanted. His mouth twitched as he stared at her.

"Stupid?" he asked her, the volume dropping, but the intent remaining, "So this is all stupid to you?"

"Dipper, that's not what I meant!" Mabel retorted. She had a nice, long patience for her brother. However, this had gone beyond the needed wait limit of Mabel-retaliation. He was letting every little thing tick him off, and she felt that same negative energy infect her. "Gosh, c'mon bro, take a chill pill.

"Mable, this is the one thing, the one big thing we have to solve, and you act like there's nothing special about this," Dipper shook his head as he called her out on what he thought was her fault, "if you really feel like that, why do you even want these at all?" he held up the two cylinders.

"Hey, you two," Wendy tried interjecting as she and Soos watched the argument escalate from their spectator side.

"I don't feel that way! But there ARE more important things than stupid mysteries!" Mabel yelled back.

"So you do think it's stupid!" Dipper shouted.

"Well, gosh, maybe now I _do_!"

"Maybe I act like this because I'm drowning alone here, and my sister isn't contributing!"

"I- what's that supposed to mean?" Mabel took the tiniest shuffle back, her chest deflating a little at her brother's last words.

"Well, it's not like you really solve any of these yourself, you know?" Dipper admitted, his arms open to either side like he was revealing a surprise to Mabel behind some curtain. The teenager stood there, staring into her brother's eyes.

"Is that really what you think?" she asked him, the smallest sound of pain in her already tiny dry voice. The anger behind Dipper's eyes couldn't have evaporated quicker when he heard her tone and saw her own look. He could have held back on that out-lash, he reasoned. It was too late though. He had cut her feelings deep and made her feel unwanted.

"I just-"

"Fine," she growled, stepping forward, she again snatched the two small cylinders from his hand, pocketed them in her own sweater, and spun away from him, unafraid to whip him with her long brown hair.

"Mabel, where are you going with those?" Dipper asked, a little behind on the flow of time stream. He was still stunned with what he had already said, and she was rushing out the door to her bike.

"I'm going to solve your stupid mystery by myself," she called behind her as she stomped to her pink motorcycle. "I'll see you later, Dipper," she ended with such a venomous tone that Dipper planted his last foot just on the porch, almost afraid to step near his twin. The wheels of her sprayed pebbles and dust back at him as she blasted away, vanishing down the street in a hurry.

Dipper groaned loudly, letting himself feel the pain in his throat as he pulled at his hair. He had let himself get so caught up in the helplessness of the situation that he couldn't have accounted for anything else, could he? And he had just stomped onto her heart with full force. His knees bent involuntarily, and his weight landed roughly on the porch below him. He barely noticed the men beginning their work to his far left, some pointing to him and looking down the road where Mabel had just fled to.

"God, I'm an idiot," Dipper groaned, hands holding his face up under his chin. He hadn't been wrong, he supposed. Mabel had been inconsiderate of his wishes to take this mystery seriously, but she had at least apologized for it. Hadn't she? Dipper grumbled in his throat. Maybe she hadn't directly. All he could feel was his shame for not being in more control with his own ambition.

"Hey dude." Dipper turned and found Soos looking down through the screen door. The large man was carefully monitoring the teenager, his eyebrows bent in concern. He pushed the door open and held it there. "You wanna come in?"

"Not really," Dipper turned away, leaning ahead as he gave a heavy sigh.

"Okay, I'll just take a step out too then," Soos decided and stepped to sit next to Dipper. "Dude, what was with that between you two? You used to only fight about... huh. What did you two ever fight about?"

"With Mabel, boys. With me, space," Dipper told Soos easily.

"Wow. Not sure how'd you ever lose an argument about space. It's real, you know," Soos told Dipper, "So if she ever tells you otherwise, I got your back. People have even been there!"

"Soos, I meant _personal_ space, not outer-space," Dipper turned to Soos with a disbelieving look, and Soos nodded.

"Oh, that makes much more sense," Soos admitted, "well, that didn't sound like it was about boys or space."

"It wasn't," Dipper again sighed, pushing his hat slightly down.

"Oh. So, why did you two argue?" Soos asked, scratching his head through his own cap.

"I don't know. I... I think we're just getting anxious that we've got to leave sorta soon. We just got back up here, and it's like nothing has changed in three years."

"Hah, I wouldn't be so sure about that," Soos started listing off things, counting off fingers, "My truck broke down once, the Mystery Shack is turning into a manor, the Gleefuls moved out of town; there's a few things that are different," he assured Dipper.

"I didn't think this stay up here would even take that long," Dipper stated, "I'm supposed to be working this summer to start saving for college and insurance for my car," Dipper nodded to the black car to the side of the building, "And now I'm trying to figure out whatever these-" Dipper instinctively reached for his pocket, and groaned, "whatever those two things Mabel now has are supposed to be."

"You don't sound too thrilled to be up here then, dude," Soos told him, a sad frown on his face.

"No, no, that's just it, Soos," Dipper turned to him, "I've had more fun up here in the past week than I have had in the past three or so years! I love being up here with everybody- It's like I'm with people who don't think I'm that freak who writes about monsters and mysteries and doesn't try dating just because I can-"

"Who thinks you're a freak?" a voice asked behind the two. Wendy also appeared behind the door, following her co-worker out the door and onto the porch.

"When Mabel and I... well, my our parents were going through the divorce," Dipper started, a topic he wasn't entirely fond of to date, "I tried playing it cool. Mabel couldn't; she was always getting mad at them, and then sometimes me. I just wanted to be left out of it."

"What really gets me though," Dipper finally got to his heart-ache, "is that... maybe it wasn't the divorce that really got me. I couldn't talk to anyone about what had happened up here. I didn't try with just anyone- I only told my friends, and then they just sort of laughed it off like a joke. I tried writing about it, but they caught me enough times to start thinking I was going crazy or something. When my mom moved away from Piedmont, then I really couldn't talk about it with anyone."

"That's rough, dude," Soos told him.

"I know how you feel," Wendy said, catching the other two's attention. "What? I've been like that before."

"You mean when you were twelve?" Dipper asked. Wendy, to his surprise shook her head with a sad grin. "Wait, back when we first visited? What?" Dipper gasped, when Wendy shook her head again. "Now?"

"Dude," Wendy looked ahead, a sigh passing her lips, "we all have stuff we want to get off our chests, you know? Like, I once had this stupid crush on this boy. He wasn't even my usual type," Wendy shrugged like she couldn't comprehend how she ever had done this kind of act, "and the kid was waaay older than me. I just couldn't shake my feelings on it, you know?" she asked the other two, who watched her in anticipation, "He wasn't... wow, I think this may be the first time I've told someone about this," Wendy suddenly frowned in thought.

"No judgment here, dawg," Soos affirmed Wendy with a good natured smiled. Wendy turned to look at Dipper, who grinned. He swiped a hand across his mouth, his index finger and thumb pressed together, and then flicked the imaginary finger-zipper away. The Redhead chuckled.

"I haven't seen that in a while," she told Dipper with a grin, "he was sort of the guy who showed me what's really going on around here."

"You mean the Mystery Shack?" Soos asked as Dipper gasped.

"Soos, I think she means that the guy showed her the monsters around town," the young teen gaped at Wendy who shrugged. "Did he?"

"Yeah. But...I don't know. He didn't seem all that crazy special," Wendy struggled to explain, "like, normal clothes, no crazy man-body or anything like that. But he was awesome. He knew so much about the woods and the things happening, like he knew exactly what to expect. Totally willing to give my dorky, twelve year old mind a chance to feel like there was someone out there who could listen to me."

"What do you mean?" Dipper asked.

"Do you remember that picture of me I showed you?" Wendy asked Dipper, who blinked. He wouldn't want to admit it, but that could have meant anything to him. A moment later he recalled a small Polaroid of four siblings of bright red hair, all standing before a forest, and Wendy Corduroy, tallest of the four, with thick braces and hair tied in pigtails.

"I remember," Dipper nodded with a grin.

"Well, imagine that girl trying to make friends when she looked like that," Wendy said sadly, her hands on her knees. "But he didn't care. Something about him understood what it was like being... being alone."

"But you're not," Dipper leaned out a bit more, trying to get a stronger look towards Wendy.

"It certainly can feel it sometimes though, right man?" she said back, catching Dipper off guard. Dipper grinned inwardly, amused with her talent of making a solid point without ever saying it. "So, when Mabel gets back, you're going to do what?" Wendy added, looking at Dipper.

"Apologize; I know," Dipper nodded in agreement.

"Phew. 'Cus that was some serious stuff you two were throwing at one another," Soos commented, "freaked me out a little."

"Me too," Wendy admitted. Dipper's flushed a little. It was one thing to feel apologetic towards his sister, but he was only now wondering what those two had felt as they watched the twins go at each other, or at least Dipper bite at Mabel.

"Damn, sorry guys," Dipper apologized quietly, scratching his chin an few brown hairs growing on his face. "We'll, uh, keep them private. Upstairs, yeah."

"Nice," Soos said, putting a hand on Dipper's shoulder for a moment. "You know dude, if you want to we can go get your sister. I'll drive you to go get her and we can all go get pizza or something."

"Soos, are you actually suggesting leaving work early?" Wendy turned to get a better look at Soos, her eyes wide, "that's a first."

"I'm sure Mister Pines wouldn't mind if I help out Dipper and Mabel, right?" Soos asked Dipper who nodded.

"Maybe we should wait for Mabel to come back," Dipper said sadly, "She's probably going to be angry at me for a bit. When she comes back I'll just talk to her. Thanks though, dude."

"Hey, no sweat," Soos stood as he spoke, "I'll be inside if you change your mind. I gotta keep an eye on those... guys," Soos gave a suspicious look towards the construction overseer, who had peered over quickly at the three on the porch. "Something about the name Weytani-Yuland makes me nervous."

"It's just in your head, man," Wendy chuckled at Soos as he walked inside, and she looked back to Dipper, "you going to be good, bud?"

"Yeah, I'm just worried about Mabel now," he admitted.

"She'll be fine. If she's anything like you," Wendy told him, "she'll realize how much it means to be happy together while you're still up here and you two will move on. It'll be fine."

"Right," Dipper agreed, and started hearing Wendy step inside behind him. "Hey, Wendy," Dipper stood and turned, catching her half way through the door, "you never said who the guy was."

She stared at him blankly. She seemed uncertain to how to reply as she looked around her, eyes avoiding the boy before herself. Maybe she hadn't intended to reveal that part of the story, Dipper thought to himself. His mind twisted itself as he watched her for a few quiet moments. He shouldn't have asked; that was rude- Dipper's mind punished itself silently as he awaited reply.

"I made the promise that I would never tell anyone, Dipper," Wendy said, a sad smile placed over her lips, "but... you know, he was a lot like you."

"What?" Dipper grinned, "you think I'm that cool?" Wendy blew a loud, exasperated gasp.

"Of course, man! You and Mabel are seriously two of the coolest human beings I've ever met. You know, I told Stan that when you and Mabel were going to leave, I was going to be really bummed out. There aren't a lot of people I can talk to anymore like this," Wendy reached over and smacked the side of his shoulder, "so don't be all down and gloomy while you're up here. Especially since you're not here for much longer, got it?"

"Understood," Dipper laughed as Wendy turned and retreated inside. A new light flooded through Dipper, and he followed her. He would go upstairs and continue his research, he knew that. This energy, this light, reached the tips of his fingers and he felt lighter and more energized than adrenaline had made him in any of the chases, fights, or near-death situations he had been in since coming here.

"Hey, let me know if she comes back and I'm still upstairs, okay?" Dipper asked Soos and Wendy as he passed by them, towards the stairs.

"You got it, dude," Soos saluted and turned back towards the windows. "I'll be watching all right..."

"We got you covered, man," Wendy winked at Dipper as he smiled back, and leapt up the stairs, passing extra steps as he climbed upwards.

His door closed firmly shut behind him as he entered his room. Rushing to his bed, he began to organize the mess he had abandoned before going downstairs. While the notes hadn't changed and he hadn't gotten any other revelations about this puzzle of the two glowing cylinders, his mood was inflated. The notes weren't giving him anything, so instead he just piled them all together as best he could, placed them with his journal on his desk, and laid back onto his bed. He smiled, wide and proud.

"Wait," Dipper suddenly blinked, "why am I smiling?" he rubbed his face, aware that it wasn't just a smile- it was a HUGE smile. He was positively beaming like Mabel would have if a boy had just complimented her on her newest sweater. He stood up, thinking of what would make him smile, and the first thing coming to mind was the mystery.

"That can't be it," he mumbled, and then shifted his ideas towards clearing the bad vibes with Mabel, "I can't really call her, unless Wendy gave her a phone or... wait," Dipper slowly pushed himself upright. His stomach had practically fluttered out of his body when he mentioned her.

Wendy.

"Wait... Wait. No. No, no, no!" Dipper slapped a hand over his eyes, "think of mysteries! Impossible world problems! Solving the greatest unknowns of time and history!" Dipper let the many theories and unsolved cases of the world float around his mind, and he sighed. He seemed at peace. No sooner had he sighed and calmed himself than her face popping back into his mind, smiling and telling him-

_He was a lot like you._

Her old crush, the one she had chosen to tell no one but Soos and Dipper, was like him. Like _him_. Not like Robbie, or whoever else Wendy had ever dated, but Dipper Pines. Dipper laid back down. There was a twinge of defeat in his mind along with a roar of triumph. He was powerless to do anything but admit it. With a few words from the beautiful red-head young adult, Dipper was smitten so deeply he could only stare at the angled ceiling above, his arms at his side and bound by his own feelings. A crush had re-surface from the depths of times long passed.

"Not again..."

* * *

><p>Mabel hadn't gone into town like she said she would have. On the way into town, she had spotted a small road that would lead to a steep hill overlooking Gravity Falls. Her motorcycle now leaned against a tree and she sat on the dirt further away, overlooking the town.<p>

She had sat there for a few minutes, silent and stewing. There were only a few things in life that could really get under her skin and hit home like that. Dipper was both the furthest and most likely to be able to know how to get her feeling this hurt about anything.

Did he really feel like she didn't do anything?

She scrunched her face tight. She had been betrayed. Those words were said easily; as if he were just waiting to blurt them out and let her know. Maybe it wasn't true, but to the hurt fifteen year old, it certainly felt like it. She just wanted to be alone. To let these feelings creep out of her until the only thing left was Mabel, not these horrible, angry, hateful thoughts.

She wanted to call him out on it. Let him know the various times that, without her help, would have gone sour. She had helped him solve the case for Quentin Trembley. She got their butts saved when the two of them and the giant Gideon Robot fell from the suspended train tracks high above the town. He had gotten himself into just as many problems, if not more, than she had, hadn't she?

The crushing sensation of doubt flooded through Mabel. There was a chance he may be right and she slouched herself forward. So sure, she wasn't as interested with these mysteries and crazy situations they both get into, but she always helped. When she knew about the problem. Dipper had given a brief explanation to what he and Multi-bear had gone through, and she couldn't have had any kind of hand in that. She did, however, save his life from Gideon. Her brother would have been chopped in half had she not showed up.

She then remembered that it had been her inability to tell Gideon herself that they couldn't date was what put Dipper into danger in the first place.

"I do help!" she shouted aloud, flopping backwards in a growl, "you're just being a stupid brother!"

He was kind of stupid, as she thought about it. In a way very similar to her own crazy, super hyper mind. The two of them were obsessive of their own interests. Dipper would practically drool at the idea of an impressive problem to solve and would chew pens and pencils to death, while Mabel would literally drool over the perfect boyfriend.

"Maybe I _should_ try figure them out," she mumbled as she peered into the sky, "that'll prove I can at least... ugh!" she growled again. She didn't want to have to prove anything. She knew she didn't have to; just being his sister should have been enough for him to know she always had his back. A competitive switch flicked in her head. This may be a chance, as she thought to herself, to firmly put on the record that she was just as competent as Dipper with these sort of things. He would never again get to call himself superior with solving cases if she solved the only one he couldn't.

She leapt off the ground in an impressive flip, and turned to her bike. She didn't know what she was going to do next, but she knew action was required. She liked this new idea of being justified. She would be able to have an exact reference from this point on, to tell anyone, why she and Dipper were on the same playing field.

Hopping onto her bike, she revved the engines again, and before long she was riding into town.

"Ahem," she said to herself as she lifted herself off her bike, pulling out the two cylinders from her pockets, "beginning test phase uno. Professional super-scientist Mabel Pines conducting investigations on two cool glowy sticks."

Mabel walked forward, holding them both in her hands, trying to figure out what to do with them. A water fountain presented itself to Mabel as she passed by the biker bar.

"Test one: aqua!" Mabel declared. Stepping to the water fountain, she pushed the nozzle down, and slowly placed one of the two in direct contact. She held her body back, still holding onto the glowing cylinder, one eye closed while the other peeked out enough to watch it. Nothing happened when water made contact.

"Water is inefficient at solving mystery of glowy stick," Mabel declared, giving the small object a look over, "and it didn't even change colors or anything cool. Water now officially declared boring."

Mabel turned and continued down the street. There were shops on either side of her that could end up becoming unwilling test subjects. None of them particularly caught her eye- but she did consider the possibility of tormenting Toby Determined for his blunder the day before, which nearly cost her and Dipper's life. That would have to wait for another day, though.

Thirty minutes later, she was back on her bike. The mall was the next logical step for investigating. Upon entering the large building, she only found herself presented with a new problem: people were everywhere. There wasn't a spot in the mall she could quickly notice that didn't have someone nearby.

"Quiet... alone... without people who will call the FBI," Mabel chanted to herself as she passed a pair of mothers with their infants, each giving Mabel a worried look.

She was passing the elevators when she spotted the best chance she had to mess with some tech: Donny's OK TVs. The collection of televisions piled high against the window, ranging from recently released but pre-owned to televisions before the lunar landing. She grinned as she started walking past it, and held up her glowing stick.

Mabel gasped. Approaching the store, the stick was glowing brighter and brighter. She turned around, just to make sure no one else was looking at what seemed to be Mabel fussing over a misbehaving flashlight. She had been hoping for a reaction, but this was a little more noticeable than maybe a little flash of light. As she struggled to contain the light, a television in front of her turned on.

It buzzed, static waves and an eerie tone floating through the glass window between Mabel and the TV. Then another TV turned on. And another. Soon the entire collection of televisions were activating and flashing their static haze. She could only panic, trying to shove the cylinder away. That was a little too close to actual danger she wanted to get. Making a quick ninety degree turn, she spun and walked post-haste to the exit.

"What kind of goofy nonsense was that all about?" she asked herself by her bike, and held up one of the battery-like objects for inspection. She then realized it was no longer glowing as brightly as before- it was still quite brighter than it had been, but it no longer hummed the strong bright light that could have blinded someone up close. Then she reached inside for the other one, and was shocked. It was brighter too, but at a level comparable to the experimented battery. Had they somehow shared a type of energy with one another?

Mable felt goose-bumps run up her spine; this was a discovery! Something she could tell Dipper about. They could test this with other televisions. After all, Grunkle Stan had replaced his TV before- he wouldn't mind if something happened to his new one, would he? Probably not.

"Wait... I got this on my own," she stated, and slid them back into her pocket. She hopped back on her bike, and headed back for town. Maybe a radio, or a speaker could have the same effect- something that was like a television. Mabel parked herself by the library, ignoring the building as it had no radios or televisions, and headed around. Her purpose was more refined. She could easily find TVs sitting in the shops by counters. Stepping into the candy-store, she purchase a bag of gummy koalas, and very casually pulled out the blue cylinder. The store clerk at the time noticed the TV acting weird, and before he had a time to notice her involvement, she slid it back outside.

Mabel practically drowned herself in the bag of sweets in excitement. Two times had televisions acted strange around the glowing sticks. Her next test was the put one in the other pocket, and the take out the other. It still hadn't gotten brighter, as her idea of them sharing energy thought. Then she put it in the pocket for a second, and pulled it back out. It had grown slightly brighter. They were splitting light between the two of them.

"Ho my gosh, ho my gosh!" Mabel gasped and bounced in step as she paced in circles. "This is crazy! Bonkers nutso! Just what the heck-a-doodle are you thingies anyway?" she asked the two cylinders as she held them before herself.

Out of the corner of her eye, Mabel spotted someone watching her. She slowly craned her head to see a girl with tan skin and a dark violet dye in her hair looking at Mabel with a bored, uncaring stare. She had met her before, this girl. Three years ago, Mabel and Dipper went into the haunted convenience store with this girl.

"What?" Mabel asked the girl. She shrugged and moved past her, typing madly on her smart phone.

"Weirdo," the girl mumbled as she passed.

Mabel squinted at her, displeased with the accusation. Mabel clenched her teeth and considered for a second if the smart phone that girl was using could be a target. So far, none of the tests seemed to have been dangerous. Nothing crazy had happened yet. Maybe she could get back at the girl without needing to say a word. Karma would be Mabel's ally this day.

As she followed quietly behind the purple haired girl, she plotted her action. Running past her to her bike, she would wave the battery-like object past her phone, and then observe any change from a safe distance. Mabel was unconsciously rubbing the two batteries in her hands together as she grinned, ready for action. Mabel noticed a crackling sound from her hands and she looked down.

As she looked into her hands, Mabel saw a huge blast of electricity arc out from between the two objects and strike the girl ahead of her center of the back.

Mabel froze. The girl, eighteen or so, crumbled to the ground, her phone sprawling away to the side from her hands, clattering as it did. Aside from the loud crack of electricity, there hadn't been a single sound made. The girl never cried out, and Mabel was too horrified to even make a whimper.

It was like swallowing the pixie all over again.

She shoved the cylinders into her pockets and started to turn and run. There was no way she was going to be caught for this- something she wasn't even sure she did or not. How could she have known anything like that could happen? It wouldn't be fair to be presumed guilty like that!

The guilt and conscious of Mabel weighed her back. There was a girl, however jerky of a jerk she may be, laying unconscious on the ground with no one in sight. Mabel knew, even if it hadn't been her fault, she had a responsibility to do what she would have wanted if the situation had been reversed. She needed to take her somewhere safe. Running over, she lifted the girl from the ground as best she could. Mabel was strong, but she wasn't Soos, and the girl was a tad taller than her.

The last thing she saw before turning around was the remaining unfinished text the girl had been typing; _Weird girl following me, playing with glowing blue things. Should be worried, right?_

* * *

><p>Dipper paced in the gift shop. It had been a while longer than he had expected for his sister to return. By a while, it was hours.<p>

"You know, I bet this is how your sister felt when you disappeared that day," Soos stated as he passed Dipper.

"Not helping, Soos," Dipper replied, and groaned, "great. Now all I can think of is that creepy warlock dude came back and got her or something."

"Nah, dude. Unlike yourself, your sister has martial training of a degree of expertise," Soos smiled and laid a hand on Dipper's shoulder, "she can handle herself like a pro."

"Doesn't mean I can stop worrying," Dipper sighed, looking out at the door. "What if she got in a crash? Oh god, what if the last thing I ever said to her was that I thought she didn't help with our stupid mysteries!?" Dipper slid against the counter, falling to his knees.

"Dude," Wendy said from behind the same counter, "chill." Dipper tried to take a nice long breath, and only groaned again, pulling his cap in front of his face. "Man, listen to Soos. Mabel fought the freaking shape-shifter like it was nothing. She's going to be fine."

"What if she got into a car crash or something though? You can't fight your way out of a car crash!" Dipper stood up, pacing yet again.

"I heard womanly panic," Grunkle Stan's voice called as he entered the shop, peering out the window for a moment, where the construction crew had left their tools, "oh, they finished for the day. Now, why is Dipper going crazy?"

"Well, you see Mister Pines," Soos quickly started, "Dipper and Mabel had a heated argument earlier, and now he's worried that she's in trouble because she's been out for a long while."

"Huh. How long is a long while?" Stan asked Dipper, who shrugged self-consciously.

"Like since two," Dipper mumbled.

"It's four. That's only two hours," Grunkle Stan informed his younger relative.

"I know! But there's crazy stuff out there! And she doesn't have a phone! We'd have to hear from someone else before we heard from her if something bad happened," Dipper explained.

"Oi. Look Dipper, this is your sister you're talking about here. We usually know she's getting herself into something bad before _she_ does," Grunkle Stan reminded Dipper, who blinked and gave a slow nod, "so if we last saw her and didn't warn her to do something, chances are she's just being her normal Mabel self. Besides, if she did need help, she'd let us know-"

There was a rumbling sound of a Motorcycle and an outcry of "HEY! I NEED SOME HELP HERE!" Dipper turned and soared out of the door, and found Mabel parking her bike in front of the Mystery Manor.

"Mabel, are you-"

"Help her!" Mabel grunted, trying to balance herself on the bike still. Dipper then noticed the other girl. She was tied to Mabel's midriff with Mabels sweater. The girl seemed to be entirely unconscious and was slipping off to one side. Dipper ran up and tried catching the girl. She was fortunately not very heavy, and lifted off the bike well enough once Mabel undid her sweater around herself.

"Coming through," Dipper shouted as Mabel slammed the door open to the shack while her carried the girl inside, "Grunkle Stan! Help!"

Grunkle Stan had just started to head back inside the living room when he spun around and found the two bringing the girl in. Soos also turned, and gasped. Yet Wendy won the most dramatic reaction award. She shrieked and stepped back.

"Tambry?!" Wendy asked from behind the counter, stepping away from her as supposed to closer, as Soos and Stan approached Dipper to lift the girl into the living room, "what is she doing here?"

"Long story!" Mabel told her, running after the others, "well, its a short story, but let's make sure she's okay first!"

"Uh... yeah," Wendy stated as she followed the others.

"Okay!" Grunkle Stan grunted as he laid the girl on his lazy-chair, "start talking Mabel. Why are you bringing back unconscious girls to the Mystery Manor."

Mabel went through the quest route of explaining what had happened. That route being mostly made of silly sounds and lots of running around in circles. Dipper understood most of it, and translated for his freaking out sister. Before long the attention had focused on the local girl on the seat, eyes closed.

"Well, it's settled then," Grunkle Stan stated with nod, "we'll dump her on the edge of town and we won't bring this up again."

"What?!" Dipper and Mabel gasped.

"Well, unless we want someone to drag Mabel to jail for electrocuting her," Stan pointed out.

"She didn't mean to do anything," Dipper defended his sister, who gave him an appreciative look.

"Why don't we just drop her by the hospital?" Wendy suggested, the furthest one from the unconscious girl, "we can at least make sure someone can see if she's okay."

"They'd have question for us," Grunkle Stan argued, "and then they'd want us around until her folks show up."

"What's the plan then, dudes?" Soos asked worriedly.

All four of the others opened their mouths at once, but someone else beat them to the punch.

"Computing Memory Module out of synch. Ejecting system memory charge, please prepare a newer charge," Tambry said, her eyes still closed. The others froze and slowly turned to the girl. She was still crumpled in the chair, and now her mouth was open, speaking effortlessly.

"What... did she just say?" Wendy asked worriedly.

"Initiating ejection," Tambry stated loudly, and the five stepped back.

The girl began to straighten out, legs dangling over the seat and arms at her side. Her eyes flickered open, and the same light Mabel had seen earlier that day shone out from the inside of Tambry's head. Her body began to levitate, a ripple of light underneath her back and legs and head that pushed her from her seat. Air was whipping around the five of them as Tamby completely straightened out, two feet in the air above the seat. There was a strange and sharp hissing sound, and then the girl's shirt lifted slightly up, exposing her stomach. A section of skin was opening, revealing a bright light from within. A foot wide panel opened, and a flash of light followed. A small blue tube floated out from her mid-section, and remained hovering in place.

The five had all clustered together, watching this all happen with wide, horrified eyes. They had just witnessed a girl float in mid air, her stomach open up to reveal a series of sophisticated electrical wires that all shone with light, and now a single blue battery floated above the opening.

"Well that was the coolest and scariest thing I've seen all year," Soos nodded with certainty as he and the others stared blankly at the girl that was supposed to be Tambry. "Getting nightmares about this one for sure, though."

* * *

><p>That's right. We got some tam-tam in this sucka! Or... is it really Tambry? :o And Dipper and Wendy sitting in a tree, j-u-s-t f-r-i-e-n-d-s. Poor guy. I'll be cheering you on, my wayward son!<p>

Now, LETS HEAR SOME PREDICTIONS! :D

This is the second really down-to-main-plot episode since Chapter one. Pretty crazy. BY the way, we're one chapter away from the half way point. Just so you all know how fast this story is moving along. But don't worry, like I've been saying, we've got a long time before the series comes to and end.

You all know the drill. Next weekend will be yet another update! So, leave a review you wonderful people and I'll seeya- (an explosion blasts apart the walls next to EZB, and the author turns slowly in his chair. It is revealed that EZB is in Jedi-garb, and eyes the hole in the wall uncertainty) Who is there?

(A Sith warrior in black robes lunges out, gleaming red light-saber at the ready. EZB reacts well enough, leaping backwards out of the chair with his own green lightsaber, and the two duel. Spins and force-pushes and lightning and all cool stuff amount in this battle. Then THE-EFFIN-OTHER wall is blasted down, and the two stop. A figure holding a crowbar high above his head stands.)

John Freeman: It's time for me to live up to my family name and face FULL-LIFE-CONSEQUENCES! (John Freeman, the brother of Gordon Freeman then whips out a rocket launcher and blows the room up. And then dey all did dieded. The end.)

[p.s. If you like stupid, god awful humor like I do at 1 am, look up full life consequences. It's a good chuckle if you're delirious.]


	11. Identity-exe Not Found: Part 2

The five had surrounded the girl, or least the person they thought had been a girl. Tambry, as Wendy explained, had been a long time friend of herself and her gang of buddies. Mabel exclaimed that she knew she had seen here somewhere before, to which Dipper agreed. Yet none of them wanted to move the still levitating young woman, rigidly floating above the seat.

"Uh, so, plans? This is a new one for me," Stan said as he looked to the others, "I mean, robots in general are rough and tough, but this isn't exactly a standard looking robot, is it?"

"Definitely not," Soos said, daring to lean in closer to her for a more observing look, "I'm going to get a look at her. Be right back," Soos declared, and turned for the kitchens.

"She wasn't even acting like a robot," Mabel declared, "she dropped her phone back by the street. Like she had been texting like any other anti-social teenager would."

"That's Tambry for ya," Wendy chuckled darkly as she looked at the still open, glowing eyes of her once friend.

"Do you think she's always been a robot?" Dipper asked as Soos returned from his journey, bringing with him a stool. "Maybe we just never noticed because she didn't talk that much."

"Trust me, she wasn't a robot," Wendy held a hand up in defense for the girl in topic, "she got her kicks just like anybody else in this town. I've also known her for long enough to know if she was a robot at this point."

"We'll see about that," Soos grunted as he stepped up the stool, and peered down into the opening into the girl. "Oh man... you guys, this is, like, some crazy amount of super-technology here."

"No kidding!" Stan said, trying his best to get his own eyes to see whatever he had.

"No, like, I'm not even sure what's supposed to be what!" Soos placed a hand against his forehead, peering into the light, past the floating 'ejected' battery that was exactly like the two Dipper and Mabel had. "I've done enough circuitry to tell you anything you need about electricity, but none of this is familiar! It's like someone made a human body out of... whatever that stuff is."

"What do you see man? Mabel demanded as she, Dipper, and Wendy watched the two men peer into the veil of light.

"Honestly?" Stan said as he finally pushed himself up on the side of the chair, "it looks like someone's insides. But made out of blue lights and a crazy looking space-age material."

"So, not going to tell you I told you so," Mabel turned to her brother, a critical look in her eye, "but I _so_ told you so."

"Huh? What are you even talking about?" Dipper glanced to her.

"Aliens, bro!" Mabel declared, getting the other's attention, "I mean, look at it! She's perfectly life like, she's got tons of crazy gizmo-ey stuff inside her body, she leaks out light- it's like ET's robot butler!"

"Who said anything about aliens," Dipper turned to her fully, scratching his chin, "as much as you're not wrong about what we've seen, there aren't any real indications as to what this is. She could be the leading test subject in a super-advanced spy hardware program or... something!"

"Or she's made by aliens! And they're watching us! For _reasons_," Mabel looked around the room, as if scanning for more evidence of Alien activity. Dipper sighed as he watched her for a moment.

"It said it was a 'memory charge'," Dipper pondered while Soos and Stan peered inside the hole, and then at the still floating cylinder. "Is that what those have been? Memory charges?"

"What the holy heck is that supposed to even mean?" Stan said, poking the floating object with a quick prod of his finger. "Well, I'm not dead, so that's good."

"When I was moving around TV's," Mabel said to Dipper, catching her brother's attention, "it started glowing," she pulled out the two they already collected, "and then when they touched one another, they shared that energy. Maybe it really is a battery, but not the kind we've ever seen before."

"If it's a battery," Wendy began as they looked at Tambry, "why hasn't she powered down, or whatever?"

That was a new question Dipper couldn't answer. He opened his mouth open and closed it silently twice. Being unable to answer this brought up an even more dangerous question, one which Dipper couldn't keep to himself.

"If she's still powered, what happens if she wakes up?" he asked the others, his eyes wide in fear and uncertainty. One by one, the others turned to look at him, the same kinds of thoughts in their minds.

"What if someone comes looking for her?" Soos stated, jumping down from his post, afraid to get near the girl.

"What if she has to erase the evidence?" Stan replied, also taking a step back.

"What if she's still mean when she wakes up?" Mabel gulped as they all stared at the girl.

"Well..." Wendy wiped her hands on the sides of her pants, and stepped forward. With a loud breath, she reached up, grasped the small cylinder, and tugged. The other four gasped as Wendy stumbled back, having pulled the object away from its floating position easily. Wendy looked at her hand, holding the small cylinder tightly. "Okay, I'm good-" Tambry's lights shut down and she fell back onto the seat, having Wendy yelp and lunge backwards.

The light faded, and the metallic opening on her stomach closed shut. Had the others not seen her just a few moments ago floating in mid air as the robot creature she was, they all would have seen a perfectly normal passed out young woman. Mabel stepped forward quickly, and slid Tambry's shirt down, covering her stomach.

"In case she wakes up," Mabel reasoned when the others gave her a confused look.

"If she wakes up, we have worse problems than her dignity," Stan told them, "we still have to figure out what to do with this girl."

"I don't know what the hospital could do with her," Dipper thought aloud, "I mean, being made of whatever that all was kinda makes it hard for doctors to fix you."

"Wait..." Mabel said, a sudden horror dawning on her, "Dipper, what if... what if these things turned her into a robot!?" she asked, holding up the two other cylinders.

"W-w-what?" her brother spluttered.

"I charged them up by TV's and radios and stuff, and then I zapped her. What if these are actually like... living people into cyborg weapons of destruction?! This could be the ending of humanity! And I started it!" Mabel pulled at her hair, her mind racing to the worst possible outcome as she paced back and forth.

"Mabel, stop it," Dipper grabbed her should and spun her to face him, "we have to deal with this here and now, not what it can be."

"Why don't we get her out of the building first," Wendy suggested, still furthest away from Tambry, "for all we know, she could get up at any point!"

"What exactly makes you say that?" Stan asked and the he pointed to the charge in her hand, "her lights are gone. Guessing it was because of that," Grunkle Stan told Wendy as she gave it a look.

"Dipper," Wendy took a shaky step to Dipper, extending her arm to him, "take it."

Dipper gave the new cylinder a careful look. There was something ominous about this third battery- possibly because they had just seen it emerge from a torso of a girl not ten feet from him. Not only that, Wendy's face was screwed up in an uncomfortable grimace. She wanted nothing to do with what she was holding to Dipper.

"Sure," he nodded and took the blue object from her, examining it. Nothing happened when his skin made contact with the smooth surface, and he sighed in relief. "Mabel, bring the other two here."

"Begin the operation, doctor," Mabel told Dipper as she approached, holding the other two out. Dipper gave them a look, and was surprised to find that the one which had just been ejected from Tambry was fainter in color and glow than the other two.

"That... that's weird, "Dipper leaned closer to them, "if these are sort of batteries, wouldn't the one that _just_ came out of a, uh, host be the brightest?"

"Well, check this out dude," Mabel told him, "shazam," she waved the two over the third in Dippers hand. The boy's eyes widened as he watched the brighter two fade slightly and the one in his hand grow in light.

"Wait... what?" he gasped, bringing it close to his face for inspection. The colors were stronger, more vibrant, and seemed to flow inside the tube like the colors themselves were alive. "Mabel, what did you just do?"

"No idea dude! Isn't that exciting though?" Mabel asked him, his eyes lightening at the prospect of them discovering even more to these strange objects.

"You found this out?" Dipper asked, a widening smile tracing his face.

"Yup! So, how's that for your helpless sister with mysteries?" She nudged his shoulder with her elbow with a devilish grin.

Dipper's face grew hot and his guts twisted in shame. His eyes quickly fell away from his sister, still aware of the mean things he had cut her feelings with. Mabel then swatted the rim of his cap gently, and poked his nose.

"All is forgiven, bro," Mabel smiled at him as he opened his mouth, beating him to the punch of an apology.

"I was a jerk," Dipper told her weakly.

"Well, maybe I was asking for it, just a teeny-weeny little," Mabel tossed the two cylinders into the air, catching them easily.

"I shouldn't have just-"

"Dipper, it's okay," Mabel assured her brother with a warm smile. It was more than enough for him and some of the stress in his body fizzled away. Not all of it; they still had an unconscious girl-cyborg to deal with.

"Either of you two got a place we can hide her?" Stan asked the twins as they turned back to face the unconscious girl in the seat. "Just a temporary place! Relax," Stan called loudly as the two both gave him warning glares. "We're not in the business of dumping bodies in the woods... yet."

"Maybe we're not thinking about this right," Dipper said aloud, walking around to get a look at Tambry for himself, "rather than where we take her, maybe we should think of who."

"Who?" Mabel echoed her brother, shrugging with her eyes wide, impersonating an owl.

"I told you two," Stan warned the twins, "we're not involving anyone else in this sort of deal."

"Grunkle Stan, I think it's a little late to try to avoid anyone knowing anything," Dipper retorted quickly, "either way, someone's going to know something's up when Tambry here doesn't go home or doesn't show up where ever she's expected. We need some help."

"Ugh... fine. Then we make sure it's a quiet as possible. My secrets survived for years because I played things secretly. No crazy adventuring and big explosions, got me?" Stan checked with the four of them, who all nodded.

"Wait, guys," Soos piped up, a dawn of light behind his eyes, "I know who we can take her to!"

"Lazy Suzan!" Mabel cheered. The four others looked to Mabel, who realized she hadn't guessed correctly. "Because, you know, she's really nice and understanding... maybe?"

"Who, Soos?" Wendy asked quickly following Mabel's explanation.

"Old man McGucket!" Soos declared proudly.

"What?" Stan barked, "we really want to get him in on this mess?"

"Hey, it's not that bad of an idea," Dipper replied, backing up Soos, "McGucket has a ton of experience with robotics, and people still think he's crazy, so if he goes talking about this sort of thing, we'll be off the hook."

"I still like Lazy Suzan as an idea," Mabel pouted.

"So, I guess you four are going into town then?" Stan gave them a hard look.

"I, uh," Wendy piped up, "I can stay behind."

"Wendy, she's your friend," Mabel told the redhead.

"Was my friend" Wendy corrected her, "tell you what. You guys get a start for McGucket, and I'll make sure her parents know she's okay. Sound good?"

"Sounds good to me," Soos said, "we ready to take her away?"

"I guess so," Dipper shrugged, and with the held of Stan and Soos, the three of them carried limp Tambry to Soos's truck. Mabel slipped one of her sunglasses on Tambry's face.

"That way it looks like she's had a rough day, and isn't an unconscious cyborg," Mabel told the others. She and Dipper climbed into the truck, Mabel taking care of Tambry while Dipper took the front passenger seat.

"You three be careful," Stan told them as Soos started the truck up, "no one else needs to know!"

"Lips are sealed! With concrete!" Mabel told him as she waved out the window.

"Be careful you guys," Wendy called to the guys, situating herself on her bike.

"You too!" Dipper clawed his way out the window, pulling himself to lean on the roof of the car to face Wendy, "don't, you know, get hurt or anything! Right? Yeah. Stay safe!" Dipper lowered himself back into the car with a sigh. There was a small hum behind him, and he glanced behind his seat. Mabel was staring at him with a cocked eyebrow. "W-what?"

"You were acting real funny there," Mabel pointed out as the truck began to move forward.

"I- I was? No I wasn't," Dipper argued, afraid that the heat in his cheeks would betray his feelings. As Mabel studied him, it was the fortunate luck of the dark inside of the truck that veiled the rose color flourishing in his cheeks.

"I guess not," Mabel chewed the inside of her cheeks, clearly not believing what she was saying. Dipper turned away, now worried he may have given away a new-found secret. Last time his feelings had been this way towards someone, Mabel had unintentionally tormented her brother about his crush. He didn't need the same experiences twice in the same summer.

With a heavy heart and a confused mind, Dipper then decided it was in his best interests to cut out his feelings for Wendy. He was older now, and clearly there were more pressing matters at hand than his feelings for a girl three years older than him. He sighed quietly, uncomfortable at just giving the feelings up so easily. Dipper jumped at the knocking sound from his window, and he whipped his head to see big green eyes peering inside.

"Good luck Wendy!" Soos called.

Dipper stared at her, the girl across the glass pane. Her freckled face shone in the afternoon light as she rode her bike down the hill at the same rate as the car, smiling as she waved to the others. Her red hair billowed in the breeze behind her like ribbons in the wind, Dipper found the world slowing to a crawl. Even as she turned her confident grin away and rode past the car, Dipper was certain his heart was punching against his ribcage just a little harder than it should have been. He spotted himself in the mirror- his mouth had fallen open in a wide gape.

"Ugh," Dipper shook himself briefly. Getting that feeling out of his head would be harder than he'd expected. The redhead made it to the main street before they did, rapidly rolling down the hill until she vanished out of sight. Dipper was given a moment of clarity, and felt a build of sweat on his hands. His condition for Wendy could be a little more serious than he considered. "Dang it," he mumbled just above his breath.

"Hey, don't worry dude," Soos barely caught Dipper's words, causing the teen to jump, "we'll figure this all out."

"W-what? Oh right, Tambry, yeah. Yeah, was thinking about _this_ mess, not... yeah," Dipper turned away from Soos, aware his sister was still looking at him with a quizzical stare.

The truck started it's way towards the town, a particular junk heap the destination. The three wondered to each other the possibility that whatever they had discovered about Tambry could be something new, or that McGucket played a crucial role in the happening of her. Maybe was even the sole creator- his apparent robotic comprehension was astounding, and Mabel and Soos wouldn't rule the possibility out. Dipper constantly played devil's advocate- reminding them that without any evidence to back up their claims, they were just throwing around theories.

"But that's what we're dealing with, isn't it?" Mabel retorted to her brother, leaning past the still motionless Tambry, "a big 'ol hunk of theoretical crazy-town?"

"All we know is that one of these three things popped out of her," Dipper said, holding up one of the collected batteries, "that's it. Until we can get more solid clues, we can't just assume-"

"Hey, what if the other two came from other people like Tambry?" Soos suddenly blurted out, his face pale and his eyes wide. Dipper and Mabel gave him a look in thought, and then to one another. That hadn't even crossed their minds.

"Then... there could be more of her?" Mabel asked aloud, looking to Tambry.

"That's a theory right now," Dipper said strongly, more so to calm himself than the others. The possibility that there were people wandering around who were not themselves was creepy. "So, let's not jump to any more conclusions."

"But that's got some hefty evidence behind it!" Mabel declared, pointing to the cylinder Dipper held in his hands, "it's not even like my Aliens idea-"

"Still a crazy idea," Dipper rolled his eyes.

"-anyway," Mabel cut off her cutting off brother, "this one has the evidence you like getting! We saw it pop out of her! Like some sort of monster!"

"Sort of like a chest-erupting creature of some sort," Soos commented, his eyes squinting in dislike of whatever his mind was conjuring. His eyes then flashed red and blue, the mirror he peered in reflecting the light of a patrol car behind them. "Aw shoot!"

"What?" Dipper and Mabel spun around to peer out of the window. A Sheriff patrol car was riding Soos's tail, lights flashing and the siren occasionally wailing.

"Crud-stickers," Mabel growled, gripping her seat tightly. She then turned to Tambry, "just act natural."

"Keep those sunglasses on her," Dipper told his sister. "Soos, what's going on?"

"You got me dude," Soos admitted with worry, "I'm not a crazy driver or anything, and I'm pretty sure my speedometer was calibrated right! Aw man, I hope my license didn't fall off the truck again!"

The truck slid to the side of the road, coming to a halt just before the outskirts of Gravity Falls downtown. Sheriff Blubs stepped out of the patrol cruiser, adjusting his belt with a gruff look as he began to step up. Soos rolled down the windows as Blubs approached, and finally leaned into the window.

"What's the problem sir?" Soos asked with a nervous grin.

"License and registration," Blubs told him in business tones. Soos nodded and scrambled for his wallet.

"What's wrong, Sheriff?" Mabel asked from the backseat, leaning forward to pop her head above the front cushions. "We weren't bedazzling you with our gangsta vibes, were we?"

"Nope. Nothing bad today," Blubs told them as he took Soos's information, "just a routine traffic stop."

"Oh, that's a relief," Soos sighed as he was handed back his wallet and registration, "was afraid you'd notice Tambry's-"

"Soos!" Dipper shouted quickly. Soos stared ahead blankly, and slowly looked to Dipper, an apology seared into the man's eyes.

"-uh, that tambourines are in fashion," Soos corrected himself as he turned back to Blubs.

"They're all the rage," Mabel nodded, "I have, like, thirty of them."

"Hm. I guess I'm behind on what's hip these days," Blubs told them. "Everything seems in order here," he nodded, and then spotted past Mabel, a motionless girl. "Hey, Tambry. You doing good back there?"

Mabel and Dipper shared a terrified look. She wouldn't respond, how could she? It was one thing if they had been transporting Stan or Wendy somewhere and they were asleep, but Tambry wasn't someone who ever hung out alone with these three. It was already suspicious looking that she wore sunglasses as the sun slowly set behind them- the rays of light were beyond angles able to strike their eyes. Why would she be wearing sunglasses.

"Tambry? You okay there?" Blubs asked again, crooking an eyebrow behind his own thick sunglasses.

"Oh yeah, she's, uh, sick!" Mabel declared, "we saw her on the side of the road acting all BLAAAH and stuff, so we're going to take her home to rest up! Yeah!"

Blubs didn't reply to Mabel. His face was pointed directly at the unconscious girl. Without saying a word, Dipper knew the cop was suspicious. This could be really, really bad for them if he took her away before they could get answers.

"Take off your sunglasses," Blubs told Tambry, his tone more serious than it had been before.

"She's also asleep! Can't ride in cars without passing out- that's why we're taking her to the Junk yard!" Mabel yelped, a shaky smile hiding her panic.

"Mabel, what!?" Dipper rounded on his sister, who had also blurted out information they didn't need to pass on.

"Junkyard?" Blubs replied.

"Uh, yeah, because she's... Anemic?" Dipper tried explaining, "so we're taking her to a place with a lot of... Iron," Dipper resisted the urge to place a hand in front of his face at the sheer idiocy of his statement.

"Remove her glasses. I want to see her," Blubs told them. Mabel looked to Dipper, and then to Soos in the mirror. She wouldn't dare ignore a command from the Sheriff. With a sigh, she reached over, and yanked off the dark sunglasses. Dipper spluttered- Mabel had put a second pair of sunglasses on Tambry behind the larger ones at some point, this time with pink rims. Mabel turned to Sheriff Blubs with a wide grin.

"See? All good," Mabel told him. The sheriff stared, his face unreadable.

"I suppose so," he said with a small smile, "y'all stay safe, you hear?" he nodded to them, pinching the rim of his hat as he turned away.

The three watched Blubs go, barely turning their heads as he and his cruiser sped off, Deputy Durland hollering the entire way out as their tires screeched and left a trail of smoke. Silence fell upon the three as they realized they had gotten away with their deception.

"How does this town not descend into Anarchy?" Mabel asked finally.

The three continued their way through the town, more comfortable with the knowledge that the 'smartest and best' of the police department couldn't tell something was up with Tambry. Well, at least more assured that should another police officer come their way they would be easily passed by. Minutes passed by as did the buildings in the town as Soos's truck zoomed towards the junkyard.

"We're here," Soos told them as the truck slowed to a stop.

The three exited the truck, Dipper and Soos carrying Tambry as inconspicuously as they could. Drawing attention to themselves was something they needed to avoid. While a sleeping Tambry was an easy trick, dragging her limp body around wasn't as easy to explain, especially by the junkyard.

"Okay, so let's assume for a second that McGucket wants to see us at all, or he even remembers us," Dipper grunted while carrying Tambry's shoulders as Mabel pulled open a part of the chain fence blocking off the mountains of scrap, "what if he doesn't want to help us?"

"Of course he's going to remember us!" Mabel told her brother as he and Soos pushed under and into the junkyard. "We had a cool adventure together!"

"Sure, but his head isn't exactly, uh, stable," Dipper attempted explaining timidly.

"And his eyes don't point straight," Soos pointed out, "like a goat. I think he even eats like a goat."

"Goats are wonderful creatures of mother nature," Mabel defended, "adapt at any environment and able to eat anything. Even candy wrappers, and that stuff is crazy hard to eat."

"You would know, wouldn't you?" Dipper rounded on his sister with a smirk.

"The bravest souls try all paths of knowledge, including the test of edibility of all things," Mabel told Dipper in her wisest mentoring voice, "so shush. Don't be all hating on my need to eat weird stuff."

"Weird stuff?!"

The three of them spun in a gasp, Dipper and Soos dropping Tambry instantly. Jumping atop a pile of abandoned couches was an old, wiry man, wearing nothing but brown overalls and a large wide brimmed straw hat. This person's most distinguishing feature came in a trio- a long, bumpy nose, a pair of bulging, unfocused eyes, and a massively thick, long beard that fell past his knees. He was wild looking, untamed and clearly unclean.

"Well, spit shine my shoes and call me a cow-poke! Visitors! Aw, wait, no shoes today. Ah well!" Old Man McGucket cried from his post, slapping his knee quickly as he cheered at their arrival. He sounded perfectly suited for this environment- his voice twanged loudly, a hick drawl imbedded deep in his voice. "Wait a second," leaning closer, he spied them with a suspicious stare, "Do I know you hooligans? You all ain't the ones come slapping around my barrels of buckets of bolts, was ya? I got a broom smacking to return to ya!" he threatened, holding up a mangled and muddy wooden broom above his head dramatically.

"McGucket, it's us!" Mabel declared, her arms out on either side, "Mabel, Dipper, and Soos! We're one member short of our adventure, remember?"

"Eh- adventure?" McGucket dropped the broom, scratching the side of his head with the pole end.

"We stopped the society of the blind-eye together?" Dipper asked, "uh, your lost past?" The old man's eyes blinked separately, his stare bland and unclear as Dipper spoke. "Wait... here," Dipper cried, pulling out his hidden journal, "Remember this?" he held it above his head, closer to the old man. A holler followed, and McGucket slid on down the couches, chuckling all the way.

"Oh you're them youngin's who done and told me 'bout my past doings!" McGucket responded, patting Dipper and Soos on the shoulders, "That's right, ya'll gone and did me a big darn favor by getting me those memories back."

"A favor? Great!" Dipper replied, turning to Tambry, only just then realizing they had dropped her to the ground, "ah, Soos, help me here," Soos complied, and they lifted the teen so McGucket could see her fully, "we need your help."

"Dang it, Dibber, I'm a doctor," McGucket rubber his chin under his beard, "but not that kinda doctor. More of the buildin' up from them scraps here kinda doctor."

"Ugh, it's Dipper," Dipper re-iterated his name as Mabel snickered at his incorrectly spoken title, "and trust me. We need your kind of doctor."

"Yeah, she's some kind of freak super-robot thingy," Soos added with a fearful look to Tambry, "like, she can open her stomach and reveal to all the strange world inside of her."

"Uh... you sure that's the right thing?" McGucket pointed to Tambry, his head crooked to the side, "I'm pretty tootin' sure I seen her walkin' round town with them cell phones sticking by her face."

"We can show you! Look at these," Mabel reached inside Dipper's vest pocket, and retrieved one of the batteries, "strange technology," Mabel waved it about her head tantalizingly. This seemed to get McGucket's interest up, as his mouth fell open just a bit more than usual, exposing his few remaining teeth.

"Aw, I couldn't be helped to pass up sucha chance, could I?" McGucket hooted, spinning around twice to walk past them, "follow me to my entirely improvised laboratory. Maybe then we don't gots to worry about them coyotes spying on us."

"Yeah. Coyotes are going to spy on us, right," Dipper commented with a roll of his eyes.

The old man lead them through piles and heaps of broken cars, abandoned computers, rusted shopping crates, and the occasional rat the size of a small housecat. Mabel attempted to befriend many of the rodents, who found her sweater to be enjoyably tasty and edible. Dipper's scolding's just barely warned her away from the gathering trail of rats, who followed Mabel at a safe distance, eagerly eyeing her sweater.

"Here we are," McGucket said, approaching a large curtain propped up on a solitary single-set bathtub.

"This bathtub is your lab?" Dipper asked. There wasn't a single distinguishing feature about the tub as he eyed it. Rusty, cracked, filthy- the tub wasn't the exact thing Dipper had in mind when said lab.

"Nope, just needed the curtain," McGucket then pulled away the tattered worn fabric, and revealed a sprawling collection of functioning make-shift lab equipment. Cracked monitors flickered with numbers and statistical information, computers whirred and buzzed under the protection of a welded together roof-top. A large operating table was situated in the middle, were it was covered in piles of gears, fibers, and sheet metal.

"Oh... that's better," Dipper admitted, "why didn't you show us that to begin with?"

"I wanted to use the curtain for dramatic effect!" McGucket told him as he walked around the bathtub. The three followed, carrying the motionless young woman with them. "Lemme see that there blue thing," McGucket motioned for the blue cylinder. Mabel obliged and handed it to him. Sliding on a very thick pair of glasses onto his nose, McGucket studied the object up close. His eyes scanned the surface with his fingers, making note of its surface and appearance. "Not somethin' I've seen b'fore."

"One of the three we've found- yeah, we've got three," Dipper nodded as McGucket turned to stare at the teen, "came out of her. Floated out of her body like it was magnetically charged. What do you think it is?"

"Spectro-magne-chemimeter time!" McGucket cheered and rushed over to a pile of dirty briefcases, whipping one out and pulling out a gizmo that looked like a ray-gun from a bad fifties sci-fi movie. Placing the battery on the operating table, he aimed the gun at the object, and turned his eyes to a small LCD screen welded to the top of the scanner. "Wow! Call me a critter fritter and serve me with tea, this here thing is wild!"

"Hehehe, critter fritter," Soos chuckled, "I'm going to remember that one."

"What's wild about it?" Dipper asked, stepping to the old man.

"Aside from the fact it looks-" Mabel stuck her hands out and waved them around as she made spooky low-pitched wails. A rat had again lodged itself on her sweater, and she shook it off. "You already ate. No more nommin' on the Mabel sweater."

"It don't read up on any basic compound structure I seen before," McGucket told them, lowering his spectro-magne-chemimeter from the target. "You've found yerself some fancy smancy kind of thangy here!"

"How about her?" Dipper asked, motioning to Tambry. McGucket lifted back up his crazy piece of information gathering tech, and pointed it at Tambry. His eyes widened and he gasped.

"Put 'er on this here table!" McGucket cried out, shoving away the loose odds and ends that were scattered around.

"What is it, doctor?" Mabel asked, poking away another rat, eager for a nibble.

"I don't think I quite know," McGucket admitted worriedly as Dipper and Soos laid her on the table. The old man lifted her arm up and laid it across her stomach, and again directed the faux-ray gun at her. "What in tarnation is she made out of?"

"Made out of?" Dipper asked worriedly.

"Her skin isn't any kind of epidermal layer I've gone and studied," McGucket said in awe, looking at the arm with his own eyes.

"Huh. Sure felt like skin," Soos admitted, stepping next to the old man as he scampered around, lifting one of Tambry's eyelids to look in her eye. "Uh, don't hurt her?"

"Her eyes got them same readings!" McGucket announced, "a woven layer made of some sort of synthetic polymer," he poked Tambry's forehead, "certainly feels like skin."

"But it's not? What is she then?" Dipper demanded, stepping closer to the old crazed scientist.

"Eh, you got me. But, if she is a robot girl, like you ya tellin' me," McGucket lazily tossed aside the sensor-ray, which crashed into a pile of broken lamps, "then she'll most likely respond to a tickle!"

"Um... a tickle?" Dipper asked, watching McGucket spin away, pulling out another brief case.

"We're going to awake her with the power of laughter?" Mabel gasped, "It's like every cartoon I've ever seen is coming to life!"

"Well, not exactly," McGucket chuckled darkly, lifting above his head tow live wires, cackling and sparkling dangerously above him.

"You're going to electrocute her?" Soos gasped, "but that could hurt her!"

"She's a robot, didn't you say? She probably don't even feel no pain," the old man defended.

"But-"

"Soos, he's right," Dipper told his friend, "we need some answers. And we all saw her do that crazy not-human stuff earlier, so it's not like she's like us. I say let's find out what happens. Mabel?" Dipper turned to his sister, giving her the chance to choose a stance on the matter.

Mabel looked between the cackling scientist and the unmoving girl on the rust table. She hadn't wanted any harm to come of Tambry to begin with, and now, to get answers they were about to electrocute her. This didn't exactly sit right with her. Then again, Dipper was right- they had seen her stomach open up like a crazy easy-bake oven for the future. If her belly opening up didn't kill her, what harm could a little electricity do?

"Just not too much fry-power, right?" Mabel asked to McGucket. The old scientist shrugged, cackling, and stuck the wires to either hands, using pliers to keep them in place. Dipper and Mabel saw a quick spark burst off the metal table, electricity conducting through Tambry's body to the table. The girl didn't budge. Not even a quiver came in the form of reaction.

"Huh. That shoulda have been enough to jump-start a sleepin' heart," McGucket scratched his nose, squinting at the conducting woman, "well, I guess it's time to turn up the power."

"Not by much," Mabel protested. McGucket made his way to the briefcase, and removed the cables from the battery he was using.

"Eh, I _think_ this is legal," the old man mentioned as he quickly bandaged the wires to a power box connected to the power lines outside his junkyard, "now, let's see what happens when I give her a little push."

McGucket leapt away from the power-box as sparks flew out of it. The lights outside the power line shimmered and flickered, being drained by McGucket's action. Tambry trembled and squirmed as bolts of electricity shot out from the table under her, a freakish display of Frankensteinian proportions. Mabel had jumped for Dipper, pulling him and Soos behind the pile of couches with McGucket as they watched the electricity zap around, out of control.

Slowly, the bolts of electricity start to arc upwards. Rather than connecting to the piles of cars or televisions, they whipped around and hit the girl, passing through her body, and then collecting back into her. Her eyelids began to bleed out a shining blue light, flickering with each bolt of electricity that struck her. Soon the lights in town, just down the street were flickering and dying as the girl on the table shimmered and glowed brightly.

The power box connected to the power-line exploded, sending it's side panels flying all around the junkyard. The power in the town began to stabilize as the lights reset and return to a soft glow. The girl on the table was glowing in the stomach, clearly the panel sliding open and revealing the inner workings of the young woman. Falling to the sides of the table were the copper wires once attached to her, sizzling into an ashy line on either sides of Tambry.

"Welp. That's a new one," McGucket stated as the four of them crept back to the table, anxiously inspecting the woman. "Least she looks like a robot now, all them lights coming out of her."

"Man, we could have fried the entire town's power grid," Dipper said as he turned back to the town, viewing the darkening skies and the still recovering power line lights.

"Dipper, we're in the middle of Oregon wilderness," Mabel reminded him, "I bet half the people here would only notice it getting colder and darker."

"Truth," Soos commented, pointing to Mabel.

"So, now what?" Dipper asked to McGucket, who had removed his hat to scratch his bald head. "She's not human, right?"

"I don't rightly know what she is," McGucket told him, "if she's human, she got a heckuva electrical tolerance."

Tambry gasped loudly, her eyes opening up. All four of them yelled and jumped away from her. McGucket took the retreat a step further, actually leaping behind the twins, and screaming, "It's alive! It's alive!" and scuttling away on his arms and legs over piles of trash and material.

"Uhh, my head," Tambry blinked, the light behind her eyes fading to the normal look her brown eyes should have. Rubbing her head, she looked around with a pained stare, "wait. Am I in the junkyard- wait, what!?" Tambry started up quickly, pushing herself from the table, and staring around her, and then to the three.

"Tambry, right?" Dipper asked to the young woman before him. Tambry blinked, and then smiled.

"Dreaming. It's just a dream- update for when I wake up," Tambry nodded and leant back down, closing her eyes. "Just close your eyes and don't look at the dweebs."

Dipper looked between the other two. Mabel had been right- the woman before them was certainly not acting out of the ordinary. She was disbelieving and snarky to the three of them, but considering the circumstances he would permit Tambry to act this way. There was not a hint of strangeness in her voice, or her actions. She seemed perfectly human, aside from the glowing square in the gut.

"This ain't no time to be dreaming, purple-haired one," Mabel said to Tambry, the first to approach her, but cautiously.

"Mmhmm," Tambry grunted back, not bothering to open her eyes.

"Yeah dude, this is totally real. Like, things hurt for real," Soos told her, and promply lifted a thin metal sheet and smacked the side of his head with it, "ow. See?" he hit himself again, "ow. Hurts plenty real."

"I don't feel anything," Tambry scolded Soos while daring to peel her eyelid back and look at them. Mabel shrugged and approached her, leaning forward to stare back at the purple hair-dyed girl. "What?" Tambry asked Mabel. The younger teen's reply was to jab her in the eye. "OW! The heck are you-" The young woman froze in mid-rub of her injured eye. Realization seemed to be creeping in. The faint traces of wind billowed in the wilderness, shaking the leaves in the woods as the sky continued to grow darker.

"Looks like things are what they seem between you and _eye_," Mabel grinned as she pointed to her own eye in the pun, "hehehe, soo what _eye_ did there? Ha!"

Mabel's humor was lost upon the girl before her. Tambry's line of sight had started drifting lower and lower to her own body, a dawning fear growing on her face. Only then did the three realize- while her eyes had discontinued their glowing, the light from her opened panel in her stomach had not ceased. Her fingers trembled as they reached down, and slowly lifted the shirt up, just high enough to see the edges of the opening in her body.

"Maybe you could explain us that?" Dipper asked strongly.

Her response was a little too shrill to do anything else but cover his ears. Tambry let off an ear-splitting cry of terror, shoving herself off the table, scrambling away from the three of them as she stared at her stomach. Her head kept shaking back and forth, unable to comprehend what she was seeing.

"OH MY GOD! OH MY GOD!" she bellowed, her hands dancing at either side of the glowing section of her opening, as if she wanted to examine her newest feature, but was too afraid to touch anything. "WHAT- HOW- WHAT DID YOU DO TO ME!?" She screamed at the three of them.

"We did?!" Dipper called back, resisting the urge to cringe at her accusations. She was on the verge of tears; her lips trembled as her eyes shone in the dim light around her.

"What is this!? I'm freaking glowing! What the hell is this?!" she screamed, finally pulling up her shirt to see her inside compartment of wires and glowing tubes. "Oh... my... GAAWWD!"

"Cut the act!" Dipper stepped closer, pointing an accusatory finger to her, "tell us who you really are!"

"W-w-what!?" the glowing young woman stuttered at Dipper's accusations.

"You're not really Tambry, are you? Some sort of fake, or replacement. What are you doing here in Gravity Falls!" Dipper ordered.

"I live here?" Tambry desperately sought a proper reply. "Oh man, what the heck am I going to do? People will think I'm some sort of freaking Christmas tree!"

"What?" Dipper gasped at her strange reaction.

"I'm going to freakin' college!" Tambry shouted, "how can I go walking around like I've got light bulbs for organs!"

"You can always get a wrap," Soos suggested.

"Dipper," Mabel reached over and pulled her brother to speak to him face to face, not looking to Tambry, "I don't think she knows anything."

"But then if she doesn't know anything, why hasn't she gone off and run away yet?" Dipper asked. There was a patter of running feet and the shaking of a chain fence. "Did she just-" Dipper asked Soos, who was looking away.

"Ah, yeah, she just took off," Soos told the two of them. Mabel and Dipper spun, spotting Tambry jumping down from the fence, taking off towards town.

"Crud! We don't know what could happen if she gets into town!" Dipper shouted out loud, "we got to get her back!"

"AFTER THAT CYBORG!" Mabel screamed, pointing a finger dramatically at the running Tambry.

"Maybe she prefers to be called 'synthetic'," Soos pointed out, and Mabel nodded.

"Oh, okay," Mabel cleared her throat, "AFTER THAT SYNTHETIC!"

"You know, thinking about it, maybe Synthetic is a little cold. Maybe artificial organism is better," Dipper told the other two.

"Yeah, that sounds nicer," Soos nodded in agreement. Mabel sighed, and again pointed dramatically.

"AFTER THAT ARTIFICIAL ORGANISM!"

The three scrambled under the fence again, and were back in the truck as fast as they could. By the time the truck was rolling up the street, they could see Tambry running down the street, one arm trying to contain the spilling light from her midsection as she fled from the three of them.

The young woman cut across the street, dissapearing down an alleyway that opened to the main street. Soos shouted, "hold on!" and twisted his wheel dramatically. The truck turned quickly, and found its front entering the alley after Tambry. The woman spun around once, her eyes full of panic as they gave chase. She made her exit first, and charge down the street again.

"Is anyone else getting the feeling," Mabel asked in the truck as Soos ran over a series of trash cans, "that we're the bad guys here?"

"What? No!" Dipper shouted, "we're trying to stop her from doing... whatever she could do!"

"Yeah, rampaging synthetic- err, artificial organism on the loose doesn't sound too cool, dawg," Soos agreed.

"We're chasing her down in a truck while she runs for her life," Mabel pointed out, as Soos started to catch up with the girl.

"Well, when we get a chance to calm her down and get some answers-" Dipper nodded his head side to side, not liking the accusations his sister was making. As he did, Tambry gave a complete stop in the middle of the sidewalk, and turned around. "Crud! Soos!"

"I see her," Soos called to Dipper. The truck screeched to a halt, and he reversed it backwards as Tambry ran across the street, tossing herself over a hedge and past the buildings on the edge of the street. "Whoa! She's desperate."

"Makes you wonder what she's trying to hide!" Dipper growled, seeing her light giver her position away in the woods, "Soos, can we track her with your truck?"

"I don't think so dude," Soos shook his head sadly, coming to the side of the street where she had just barreled over the green vegetation.

"Then we got to get her by foot," Dipper commanded, opening the side door, ready to give chase.

"Hey, Dipper," Mabel followed suit as Dipper lead the run, "maybe you're trying a little hard for answers?"

Dipper didn't answer, he couldn't bare to think of anything else but grabbing the girl and demanding some serious explanations. How else could he get closer to solving this? She was their number one lead on whatever was going on, and she was doing her darn hardest to get away. Surely if innocent, she would just try to explain everything to the best of her understanding. No, she was running. She must know something.

"Tambry!" Dipper called out, the woman easily some fifty feet head of them, climbing past trees and fallen logs, flicking her gaze behind her occasionally to check on their progress.

"Hey! Wait!" Mabel ran faster than Dipper, able to utilize the trees around her to propel herself fast than anyone else in this chase, gaining on Tambry quickly. "We're not going to hurt you!"

"Dawg! Chill out for a second!" Soos huffed as he ran just behind Dipper, only having trouble leaping over the fallen trees on the earthy ground as they ran up hill in the dark woods.

"Leave me alone!" Tambry shouted in her gasps for air. Mabel was on her heels now, able to speak to her without shouting, which was a surprising talent considering both girls were running as fast as they could.

"C'mon, just for a bit! We promise to keep our distance if that makes you feel better? Pinky promise!" Mabel held up her hand and poked out her said finger, grinning.

"I don't want anything to do with you!" Tambry shouted, pushing her hand away as she turned again, sliding down a small incline. "Just go away!"

"Ah, c'mon," Mabel cried as she stopped, giving herself a moment to breathe a little. Soos and Dipper can jogging up after her, panting heavily, "see? She's just scared," Mabel told her red-faced brother.

"How... can... you... talk... while... running?" Dipper asked his sister in awe.

"Training, my young grasshopper!" Mabel grinned. Dipper scowled and stumbled on, pushing his feet onward for the sake of a resolution to this mystery. "Dipper, maybe we _should_ leave her alone."

"Not a chance!" Dipper shouted as Soos followed in pursuit. Mabel groaned and also followed, upset with her obsessive brother.

The four ran uphill in the woods, crashing and tumbling over broken branches and shattered stems. Mabel would easily catch up with the running girl, who like Dipper, was not exactly trained for this kind of endurance, and ask politely if she would stop to talk. Each time Tambry would shout back to be alone. Finally came the end of the woods, and Mabel found herself following Tambry to the edge of the cliffs that overlooked Gravity Falls, where Mabel had gone hours earlier to let off steam.

"Wait!" Mabel shouted, halting her progress as Tambry ran closer and closer to the edge, "don't jump! You could hurt yourself!" Mabel warned the hair dyed young woman. She came to a stumbling stop at the edge, peering down the side as if to measure the benefits of possibly breaking a leg to get away from the three of them.

Dipper and Soos arrived just as Tambry faced them. The lights in her stomach shone out from under her shirts fabric, bleeding out a haunting fluorescent warmth. Her shoulders heaved endlessly as she gasped for air.

"Okay, you've got no where else to run," Dipper told her bluntly, "so, whatever you've been hiding from us, just tell us now and we'll leave you alone."

"How- how-" Tambry groaned and rolled her eyes as she struggled for air, "how many times do I have to tell you: I don't know anything!"

"That doesn't make sense!" Dipper called back, taking a few steps closer to her, "we asked you what you knew, and your first instinct was to run away? Not to figure this out?"

"I woke up to find out I've been turned into some sort of crazy robot-thingy! Like I'm all... artificial!" Tambry said, giving her own hands a fearful glance, "I don't care what you want from me, okay? I just want you not to touch me again!"

"We didn't touch you!" Mabel pleaded, trying to ease her brother back with a hand on his shoulder, "I promise you we're just trying to figure all of this out."

"Yeah, c'mon dawg," Soos added in, pushing himself upright as he had been heaving for air this entire time, "we're not trying to do anything to you."

"You tried running me over in your car!" Tambry pointed angrily at him.

"Okay, first of all, it's a truck. Second of all-" Soos started.

"We didn't need to chase you if you hadn't gone running off!" Dipper shouted back.

"You try waking up and seeing you've been turned into a robot thing!" Tambry screamed at Dipper, a tear making it's way past her face.

Dipper's argument fell apart. This woman, this hypothetical cyborg, was crying. A robot was crying in front of them, her makeup running along the trail of the tear. He turned to Mabel, shocked and uncertain what to do next. She returned his stare with one of anxiety and guilt. They had done this to her.

The idea was ludicrous to him, but Dipper finally considered the possibility: what if she hadn't known she was a robot? Maybe she was somehow programmed so well that she wasn't aware of her inhumanity. It would explain the fear, the stumbling, the human like reactions to everything she had done to reply to his demand for answers. What kind of situation had they forced this eighteen year old into?

"It's like," Tambry wiped away a year, smearing her cheek with dark eyeliner, "wow. I'm not even human anymore. This isn't a dream. I'm really no longer me, am I?"

"I..." Dipper could only manage. This was not the kind of ending to the chase he had expect or wanted. Her eyes shone in the dim light, full of fear.

"You can't even tell me. I bet I'm some sort of experiment, aren't I?" Tambry continued, taking a step backwards to the cliff.

"Hey, be careful," Soos warned her, his hands up, "you're gettin' real close to the edge there, dude."

"What does it matter, huh?" Tambry laughed desperately, choking on one of her intakes of breath," I'm not even me. Even if I fall, I bet some loser programmer can just plug me into a computer and download my life. Like, are even my memories real?"

"You are real," Dipper told her definitively, trying to keep a steady pace closer to her, "listen, just because this happened doesn't mean you're not real."

Tambry didn't reply, her feet met the edge, small pebbles and clumps of grass falling off the side of a fifty foot drop. She looked up to the skies, the stars in her eyes and she let a sigh escape past her lips. With that sigh, she made to take a step behind her.

"What's your name!?" Mabel suddenly shrieked. Tambry stumbled forward, eyes to Mabel.

"What?" she asked.

"What is your name?" Mabel repeated slowly.

"I'm Tamb- why?" Tambry spluttered, "what difference does it make?"

"Eactly!" Mabel pointed to her, calmly stepping closer, "okay, so maybe you're not exactly yourself. Like, a lot of you went and changed, right?" Mabel nodded for Tambry, who eventually mimed the teenager, "okay, so you know who you are. Why are you still freaking out then?"

"Because I'm not me!"

"Yes you are! What's the first thing that came to your mind when I asked you who you were?" Mabel tried, a warm smile growing on her face. The older teen blinked, a growing realization Mabel planted in her mind spreading. "See? You're just you. But now glowy! And, come one, that's kind of cool."

"But if I'm not real Tambry-"

"Who says that?" Mabel asked. She was now a few feet from her, and held out her hand. "Come away from there. We don't want you to hurt yourself, okay? No more dramatic cliff stuff."

Tambry looked back once, and in instinctual fear took a long step away from the edge. She was next to Mabel, finally calming down. Her glow was still present, and as she looked between the others, she could see the light reflecting in their eyes.

"This should be a dream. This is weird than... wait, you two," Tambry looked to Dipper and Mabel, "you two were with me when I was sucked into the TV, right? Why does weird stuff always happen when you two are around?!"

"Hey, we just chase the odd stuff. It doesn't find us... usually," Dipper added at the end, recalling the many times chance or fate lined them up for an encounter with the unknown.

"Whatever," Tambry rolled her eyes to them, "okay. So, I've been robot-fied. What, uh, do we do to... you know, fix me?"

"Well, we could try turning you off and then back on again," Soos laughed at his own joke, the three glaring at him. "Haha. Yeah. Zinger, Soos."

"Honestly Tambry," Dipper started, "I don't really know. We've never dealt with this kind of stuff before. It's sort of new territory for us to have someone who's been turned into a robot."

"Dipper, what if I-" Mabel started, but Dipper quickly punched her shoulder, "ow!"

"What if you what?" Tambry asked Mabel suspiciously.

"She thinks that, uh, she has an idea how to figure this out," Dipper lied, certain she was actually going to worry more about turning Tambry into the robot-thing she was currently.

"You really think you can?" Tambry turned to Mabel, her eyes wide with excitement.

"Well... you never know until you try, right?" Mabel shrugged after a look from Dipper to have her play along.

"Okay. I'll go with you two," Tambry said with a slow, uncertain nod, "just... lemme take a second, okay? I want to figure out how to close this stupid... thing," Tambry turned away, facing the town as she looked to her glowing stomach opening.

"Sure, we'll be waiting by the trees," Dipper told her. As they approached the forest edge, he leaned to the others, "So, what are we thinking?"

"I think she's being honest," Mabel said pleasantly.

"You think everyone is honest," Dipper reminded her.

"I think that Old Man McGucket wont want to help us after what happened before," Soos said sadly.

"Maybe we can bring her to him later. He's still our best bet with how to figure out what's going on," Dipper told the two of them. He glanced behind himself, the eighteen year old standing in the moonlight as she glared at where her bellybutton should be. She was far enough away form the cliffs for Dipper to not worry for her safety.

"Dipper, do you really still think she's lying about this to us?" Mabel asked her twin.

"I trust her now," Dipper turned away, "she was really freaked out earlier. Maybe I was a little too pushy."

"Gee, ya think?" Mabel scolded him with a tiny glare.

"Besides I think it'd be hard for her to lie that well. I can't see robots being that good at faking emotions," Dipper reasoned, "then again-" There was a flash of light behind them and they glanced behind them. "Tambry?"

She was gone.

"Tambry?" Dipper called loudly around them. Mabel gasped and ran ahead, peering off the side of the cliff. As she reached the edge, she found nothing below her. It had just happened, and the lack of trees and bushes meant if Tambry had fallen down below, she wouldn't have had time to find a hiding spot.

"Oh dude, what just happened?" Soos gaped as they looked around. I... I don't get it. She was right here."

"Hey! Tambry!" Mabel added to the chorus.

"TAMBRY!" Dipper yelled into the woods, "WE PROMISED WE WOULDN'T DO ANYTHING! TAMBRY!"

Nothing but the light trembling of leaves against the wind responded to Dipper.

The woods were combed viciously for a solid hour as the three scanned around. There was little to no indication that Tambry had even moved from her place by the cliffs. The dirt by her shoes had been left with her imprints, yet no more followed away from her last known spot. No sounds of running, no hasty breaths; a dead end. All of the possible answers went up in smoke.

Dipper was the last to give in. Three hours after their departure from the Mystery Manor, the three returned, only to answer the army of questions Grunkle Stan had for them. They explained everything they could, and when they could not get a proper answer, Mabel would just blow her lips and tongue with a loud raspberry.

"Just get to bed for now," Grunkle Stan eventually told them, rubbing his eyes in exhaustion and annoyance. He had also wanted answers, but more so had been worried for their safety the entire time.

Dipper would not sleep that night. Mabel also stayed up late, the two of them silently staring at the ceiling, wondering what had really happened that evening. Where had Tambry gone? Was she okay? Could they ever discover the answers?

The following morning provided Dipper a second chance for his imperious thirst for knowledge. Dragging his sister to the car past their Grunkle Stan, Dipper got them both into his car, and they drove back into town.

"Dipper, maybe we should put up a missing person flier," Mabel asked sadly as they drove into town.

"We won't need to. We're going to find her," Dipper told her, "besides, that's her families job. If we're going to do anything like that, we should point out to them that she's been gone for a while, or something."

"Dipper, what if it was my fault. What if these dang things," Mabel lifted up two of the three cylinders, "do turn people into robot thingies?"

"I don't know. That still wouldn't explain how she vanished suddenly," Dipper reminded her, "they havn't changed at all, have they?" he asked, peering to her quickly as he drove through town.

"Not a single blip, blop, or bloop difference to them," Mabel informed him with a sigh. "I can't look at these pretty things without thinking I've done something bad to Tambry."

Dipper said nothing. Driving by a street that would lead to the mall, his mind finally let itself rest on the possibility that those sticks did indeed turn people into cyborgs somehow. It didn't make sense- that kind of science fiction craziness shouldn't even be possible. Then again, he had seen even crazier things. Body switching carpets, crystals that emitted size changing beams of light, the concept of gnomes, this wasn't exactly a town known for it's perfect obedience to the laws of physics.

"DIPPER!"

Dipper slammed the brakes instantly. The black car came to a screeching halt, and he turned to his sister, panting.

"Holy mackerel! Mabel, what the heck!?" Dipper demanded of his sister. She wasn't staring at him. Instead, she slowly lifted a finger past him, and pointed to the other side of the street.

There laid a cellphone by the sidewalk, still flipped open on the ground. A girl with purple dyed hair walked over, picked it up, and lazily examined it before continuing to punch in a text message or digital social media update of some sort.

"Tambry," Dipper said quietly, staring at the girl with disbelief. The twins exchanged a glance, and then scrambled to leave the car. "Tambry!" Dipper called as he ran directly to the sidewalk, his sister sliding over the hood of his car to speed her approach.

"Huh?" Tambry turned and gave them both a bored, tired expression. "What do you want?"

"Tambry, it's us," Mabel told the older teen, "where have you been?"

"Uh... who're you?" Tambry asked, taking half a step away from them.

"Last night, Tambry, the stuff last..." Dipper stopped half way through his sentence. Unlike the night before, the person before them was perfectly collected and relaxed. She sullenly looked at the twins before glancing at her phone and completing whatever she had been texting. "Uh, do you remember what you did last night?"

"I was at home. You know, where I live?" Tambry snidely told the two of them, "Sorry, do we even know each other?"

"It's me, Mabel!" the girl twin declared, "and this is Dipper? Remember?" Tambry gave them a studying glance before gasping. "Right! You remember?"

"Yeah, how could I not," Tambry said with an exasperated sigh, "not exactly normal to be sucked into a television world."

"Righ- wait, what?" Mabel cut herself off.

"We went to the Dusk 2 Dawn store? Was haunted, right?" Tambry told them the smallest smile on her lips. "Right? You two were like, ten back then."

"We were twelve," Dipper told her.

"Whatever. Well, it was nice catching up with you," Tambry gave them a half hearted smile that was clearly forced, "but I'm going to continue living my life with as few reminders of that night as possible. See you around never."

"What?" Mabel gasped, watching as Tambry turned away slowly, and walked down the sidewalk. "Dipper, what the heck is-" Dipper stepped over to his sister and snatched from her hands the two blue cylinders, "Dip?"

"You said you started rubbing these two together, right?" Dipper asked as he pushed the two ends together and began to twist one end against the other in opposite directions.

"Dipper, you can't be serious!" Mabel tried snatching them back, but Dipper was determined. He lunged ahead, and furiously pushed the two ends together. Nothing followed. There was a small pop of energy, and Dipper looked down. He could see the hints of static breaking away from the two cylinders. Nothing dramatic soared out and hit her back though.

"Nothing," Dipper sighed and let his hands fall to the side.

"What if it had worked, you jerk!" Mabel snatched them away, pocketing them quickly, "and that was the real Tabmry! You could have hurt her!"

"We don't know if she's the real thing yet," Dipper slowly told his sister, "we have nothing to indicate that-"

Tambry, at the other end of the sidewalk slipped on a loose magazine on the ground, and fell ahead of her. The two twins watched her land roughly, and cringe. She had scraped the side of her right hand's palm badly. Red splotches of irritated skin darkened as she growled at the magazine before kicking it aside, and pouting her way down the sidewalk.

"Okay... she was almost bleeding," Dipper pointed out, "I think you're right on this one," Dipper told his sister with a sigh.

"Darn tootin' I'm right," Mabel agreed strongly. "I'm keeping these for now on, you got it mister?"

"Okay, okay," Dipper sighed, hands in his pockets, "I sort of let this one go to my head, didn't I?"

"Hey, it's okay egg-head," Mabel teased his brother with a poke between the eyes, "we've just got to keep an eye out for now on, you know?"

"Ha, how about four eyes?" Dipper gave his sister a small smile and nudged her shoulder. She giggled back and the two of them headed for the car. As Mabel slid back into her seat and closed the door, Dipper got the car moving again. The even passed the injured and less pleasant Tambry as they drove down the street. Mabel gave the girl a quick glance in the side mirror, and blinked.

It looked like Tambry's eyes glowed for just a moment. But when Mabel's eyes opened again, the light was gone. It must have been a tick of the light.

* * *

><p>And so came and passed the episode with Tambry in it. Sure, she'll be back, along with a few of the others within the town, but that was among the most interaction we'll see in season one. With her. Possibly forever. Huh.<p>

SO! Do you like Gravity Falls? I hope so! You're reading this, after all! Do you like Aliens? No, not the kind with big grey eyes and weird green skin with tall heads n stuff, I mean the ones with NO eyes, tall heads and lots of pointy teeth and fangs! Chestbursters, facehuggers, queens and... well, xenomorphs. No? Aww. Yes? WELL YOU SHOULD TRY OUT THE NEWEST STORY THATS ABOUT ALL THAT: Aliens.

With the wonderful talents of TheEquestrianidiot 2.0, we are creating a re-telling/re-hashing/crossover? of the 1986 epic horror action piece Aliens, using your favorite characters! Mabel! (she's Ripley) Wendy! (She's in it too!) uh... Robbie! (he's in it... yay) and a whole lot of other people that I can't talk about because **SPOILERS**.

In fact, my buddy TheEquestrianidiot 2.0 and I are offering a chance for you guys, the reader, to get something out of our story! A challenge was released to the wonderful public in chapter three, where we ask, essentially, 'what's in the box'? Guess correctly, and you get to tell us to write a one-shot involving Gravity Falls of ANYTHING YOU WANT. Cool huh?

So what are you waiting for? You gotta try everything once, right? (A facehugger lunges at EZB, who then struggles to pull it off his face, and eventually falls to his doom into a vat of molten lead. Odd place for a vat of molten lead to be in a college dorm, but Weytani-Yuland digresses.)

[Bonus points for those who can count the number of references made in this episode total. That includes the last week's update.]


	12. Classic Rock: Part 1

The door slammed behind Dipper as he exited his car hurriedly. His shoes scraping against the gravel covered ground, he ran into the Mystery Manor, passing a few construction workers as they wrapped up their morning shift on the building. The young teen held a collection of books under his arm, having once again rented from the Library in Gravity Falls.

His feet echoed against the wooden floorboards, heralding his passing for Wendy and Soos, who both retained their position in Gift Shop. Dipper wanted to say hello, maybe ask how their days have been, and maybe direct some funny, witty comment to Wendy, but his mind was set. Soos was fussing with the radio anyway, so getting a word in was less attractive to the moment. Climbing the stairs, Dipper entered his room past the poster covered door.

"Yo bro!" Mabel said, in a well-executed hand stand on her bed frame, holding herself upright without a wobble in her stance. "You find those info-maniac books you needed?"

"References," Dipper corrected her as he tossed his shoes off and leapt to his bed.

"References to what? You're starting some stupid English assignment this early in the summer, are you?" Mabel demanded, completing the task of turning with her hands, twisting her arms to face her brother while still suspended upside down.

"They're references to everything that's happened in the past ten years in Gravity Falls," Dipper told her in one breath, "see, towns keep track of pretty much everything- or at least they should. Power outages, accidents, deaths, births, population- everything should be tracked in these," Dipper patted the books.

"I didn't know you wanted to grow up to be an encyclopedia of all that is boring," Mabel grinned at him.

"Ha-ha. With this information," Dipper said after a glare to his sister, "there's a chance we can correlate when someone had the chance to move in town and then create or introduce a sophisticated android-robot-thing that replaced Tambry."

"That's assuming I didn't turn her into one," Mabel admitted, allowing herself to fall to her bed with a gloomy 'oomf'.

"Mabel, we went through this: we've seen magic before. Maybe a spell could have done that, sure," Dipper assured her with a strong look, "but this is some sort of technology. It's built with metal, works around electricity- if it's got magic enough to do something like that, then... well, I don't know what then."

"Ugh. I hate not knowing if I'm a monster of a human being," Mabel groaned from her position, and leaned on one hand to look at Dipper, "do you think if we catch her again, we'll have a chance to undo it?"

"No idea. I'm already suspicious of Tambry anyway. She told us she was in her home last night, right?" Dipper told Mabel, "but she clearly never goes anywhere without her phone. If she _really_ had been at home, wouldn't she have gone back for the phone you saw her drop when you zapped her?"

Mabel gasped, a hand at her mouth. "You don't think she... lied?!" Mabel declared.

"It's a possibility. If the Tambry walking around now town is a robot, maybe she was programmed to believe it, so technically it wouldn't have been a lie. Or maybe it is Tambry, and she just forgot her phone at the same place.. oh come one," Dipper looked through the book, disappointed as he scowled at the numbers, "whole dang weeks just go unaccounted for. Way to be organized, Gravity Falls."

"Well this isn't Norway, where they have everything in line, duh!" Mabel told her brother. "It's 'Murica!"

Dipper sighed, and dropped away that one book about incidents involving insurance claim and rises in total insurance cost. He lifted a reference in power regulation for the town, and shuffled through the pages. Mabel wasn't wrong- these numbers were repetitive and boring, but necessary to Dipper. Then he noticed something. There were gaps in recorded days, but one week was the exact same as in the other book.

"Huh," Dipper noted aloud, and laid that one down, and lifted another book, this time on law-breaking with crime and punishment. "This one too?" Dipper asked. The same week didn't appear in the book.

"Dip?" Mabel asked, hanging her head from the side of her bed. His eyes were widening, and he was scrambling through books, finding a single page and then moving to another book.

"All these references... all of them," Dipper held up three books in his hands, "they all are missing an exact, single week from two and a half years ago."

"You mean, like, after we left that one summer?" Mabel asked, rolling herself upright to talk to him.

"Yeah. From December tenth to the seventeenth there is no data. Of anything!" He laid out his books around him, shocked at this coincidence. "That's eight records of this town having the exact week missing. One solid week of missing data throughout the town? That can't be an accident," Dipper said with a shaking breath.

"So... what does it mean?" Mabel asked with uncertainty. The two stared at one another, reading into each others eyes, hoping for a common thought. No such idea passed by and Dipper groaned.

"I don't know," he admitted, closing the books around him. Like the entire chase last night, it ended with more questions than answers. Sure, it was a strange coincidence, but it wasn't anything more than a coincidence until they could correlate data. Dipper's eyes turned towards his desk, where the three cylinders lay silent, gently humming their blue light. What he needed now was an experienced opinion on the matter. Someone who knew the workings of this town better than them. Someone they trusted.

"Soos!" a voice called from below, cranky and deeper in register. A huge fluorescent light bulb flashed in Dipper's head. He had someone like that at his disposal.

* * *

><p>"Yes, mister pines?" Soos asked, turning from his radio.<p>

"I've come to the decision- ugh, turn that down, would you," Stanford Pines ordered as music blared over the radio, "I don't need Valhalla shouting at me from my own gift shop."

"Oh, that's just Duskhope," Soos told him with a pleasant smile, "I can't believe you've never heard of them."

"They sound like a rock band invaded a movie orchestra and told them to work with them or die," Stan described as the music rocked on behind Soos. The music was strong and aggressively inspiring, gripping the air around the stereo with an iron, orchestrally accompanied fist.

"They're the greatest symphonic-rock-orchestral band that's ever come out! The band has been around for ages. Their leader, Zander Maximillion, is a prodigy of music," Soos informed Stan.

"Metal," Wendy piped up from behind her usual post and magazine, "They're a metal band."

"Oh, right, my bad," Soos apologize.

"You listen to this stuff too?" Stan turned and stared at her.

"Eh. Robbie loved their music," Wendy sighed as she turned a page, "never shut up about how he would become their lead guitarist. As far as Soos's taste in music go, it's certainly at the top. Can't say they're bad at what they do."

"Moving on from the topic I literally can not care less about," Stan claimed as he turned back to Soos, scratching his back through his con-man's suit," I've come to the decision that I'll need a night-watch when this whole construction project is done wrapping up."

"Oh wow! A new position!" Soos exclaimed excitedly, "who are you considering?"

"No one. You've got the job," Stan told him plainly. "Congratulations. You know how to stay up late, right?"

"Oh. I, uh, yeah?" Soos nodded quickly, shocked at this news. His reaction seemed to surprise Grunkle Stan, who took a step closer to him. "You sure there isn't someone else better qualified?"

"What aren't you telling me, Soos?" Stan asked, his eyes boring into Soos's, "if I hadn't known better, I would have thought you were reluctant to take this job."

"Oh! No! No, no, no! That's not it at all," Soos stumbled as he tried assuring his employer, "I, uh, just... you know, I thought I was the handy-man."

"It's a promotion, Soos. Now you tell people at night that we don't offer tours past the hours of seven in the afternoon and before ten in the morning, and that we put the fun in no refunds," Stan told him easily, trying to ease his long term employee into the idea.

"I don't know... I'm not exactly good at handling people," Soos admitted, fiddling with the radio dial behind him absentmindedly.

"Aw, c'mon Soos," Wendy piped up, lifting her feet off from their position on the counter, "you're great with people- you're just not that same kind businessman that Stan is."

"Exactly," Stan nodded, "Look, Soos, I don't need someone to sell them stuff, I just need someone up late enough to keep an eye out; make sure the restless kids don't pillage the shop."

"Ah... I'll, uh, think about it?" Soos said nervously. Stan sighed deeply as he rubbed his eyes, and Soos panicked, "Aw, I'm sorry mister Pines! I'm just not sure right now."

"Well, you have until we open the rooms to make up your mind. I'd rather provide a raise than give some other rotten punk in town a job here," Stan told him, walking past him towards Wendy, "so don't shelf it forever! Wendy!" Stan said as he leaned against the counter, "how about you? Interested in being paid to stay up late?"

"Eh. I'll consider it," Wendy shrugged as she continued to read.

"What?! What world am I living in where young people aren't tempted by the chance of greed!?" Stan barked to the two of them, "speaking of which, is the newest national tabloid in?" Wendy reached by the pile of magazines she brought in that day, and tossed one to him, "ah good. Time to get some new ideas."

"Grunkle Stan," Dipper asked as he appeared with his sister in the gift shop. Soos had fiddled enough with the radio to have a solid established connection, and hummed gently to the music as the twins approached their reading grand uncle.

"Now let's see; teen who claims to speak to the dead from Massachusetts saves town from rampaging poltergeist. Teen's family claims he's bested zombies and cursed spirits prior to investigation. Hmm, maybe if I got some projectors, and some nice transparent paper, and thin wiring-"

"Grunkle Stan!" Dipper restated loudly.

"Gah! What?" Stan yelped at, what seemed to him was, the sudden appearance of Dipper. "Didn't you go to the library?"

"Back already," Dipper answered, "got the materials I needed."

"About time someone could go into town from this building and not disappear for hours," Grunkle Stan mentioned aloud, also giving Mabel a look, who was just behind Dipper. She stuck her tongue out in reply.

"Grunkle Stan, I wanted to know," Dipper started his question, "did anything strange happen two Decembers ago?"

"Like, for a week maybe? An exact week?" Mabel added, her attempts at inconspicuous behavior ruined.

"Oddly specific," Stan cupped his chin in thought, "hmm. Nothing strange off the top of my head. Why?"

"There was a week within the reference journals and books I rented that all had the exact same week missing," Dipper explained, "sort of weird for a simple editing error or laziness."

"Huh. Consistent missing data sounds familiar," Stan agreed with a rough and thoughtful grunt, "maybe I can fish something up on the downstairs stuff."

"Awesome!" Dipper cheered, his eyes lightening up at the prospect of getting some real aid on this mystery, and not just a two-part cheap answer from his grand uncle. "Can you head down now?"

"What? You're kidding, right?" Stan barked at him, "look, I know you want some answers to this robot mystery thing, but I can't just head down there in the middle of the day. What if these construction workers wreck something and I'm not there to scam them to pay up quickly in cash?"

"Grunkle Stan," Mabel pouted, her arms crossed and trying to appear as a mix of sweet and disapproving.

"Or what if we get some lost tourists who need directions? I can't pass up an opportunity to grab some money off them, even if the shop is technically closed," Grunkle Stan added, as if this prospect truly frightened him.

"Hey, speaking of tourists," Wendy piped in, peering out the screen door, "are we expecting some suits from the construction company?"

"Huh? No?" Stan said, walking past Wendy towards the door. Sounds of a car coming up the long driveway struggled past the construction workers sounds, wrapping up their morning shift before they retreated for the lunch break. Finally over the hill and past the trees a van appeared, painted black and adorned with a rusted radio dish on its back. "Oh no. Oh no, don't be them again," Stan pushed his hands against the frame of the door, staring in fear outside.

"Grunkle Stan?" Mabel asked as the four approached, nervous to what the eldest of the room feared.

The van came to a stop, and the four watched as a collection of young men, easily in their mid twenties or early thirties stepped out, in a collection of both official suits and button up shirts and over-the-top leather duster jackets. Several had comic book t-shirts and all wore jeans. The driver stepped towards the shack, giving it a look over as he approached.

"I take it this is the Mystery Shack?" the man asked aloud as he stared to Grunkle Stan. After a pause, the old man cleared his throat, and with a quick push of the door, leaped out dramatically.

"Welcome to the Gravity Falls Mystery Shack!" Stanford Pines emulated the great mister mystery with his 'could sell you dirt' grin. "I hate to inform you, but the building is currently under renovation-"

"Yeah, we kinda got that," one of the men approached from behind the first, his blonde hair braided under a cap.

"Not a mystery there, is it?" the leader gave a cocky smirk and turned to his fellow buds, getting a few high fives. Stan kept his grin high, but a vein twitched.

"Ah, but of course! I'm sure what you've really come for is the world famous merchandise!" Stan lunged aside, directing his open hands towards the door, where the four peered out at the six men who stared back, each with their own variations of sunglasses.

"Close," The leader stepped closer, and finally removed his sunglasses, displaying dark blue eyes, "we've heard this is world famous for it's mysteries."

"Oh, uh, yeah," Stan stood upright, scratching the back of his neck, "we got those too."

"Good. We're the NPPP, or the North Pacific Paranormal People," the leader explained, indicating on his large leather duster a sewn on name tag, "I'm Geoffrey. This is Adam, Luke, Ben, and Marcus. It's our job, as of, uh, last week to discover and rate all things paranormal or unexplained in the northwestern pacific region on our highly regarded website for travelers."

"Whoa, whoa, you rate places?" Stan demanded, his cheerful demeanor long gone. as Mabel snickered behind him, reciting their name.

"Hehehe, P-P," Mabel struggled to stifle her voice.

"Sorry fellas, my establishment isn't interested in criticism or whatever you have to offer," Stan told them his arms crossing.

"Really?" Geoffrey asked, leaning in a bit more, "We scored an impressive six out of ten on the customer reliability online," Luke, the blond with braided hair said with an impressed nod.

"People respect our name and our word," the darker skinned man, Adam explained, raising his sunglasses to give the teens and older man a twinkling smile.

"Right, dressed like that I'm sure all the respectable types go running for advice," Wendy whispered to Dipper and Mabel.

"Right, and that means what to me?" Stan rolled his eyes as they expressed their impressive status.

"Anything that we say is paranormally charged," Geoffrey finalized, "true believers will flock to see for themselves."

"People... flock to? Wait... you'd rate my establishment?" Grunkle Stan asked, stepping slightly forward to the man before him.

"It's part of our job."

Grunkle Stan hopped slightly with a tiny jolt, as if an electric current ran through his spine. He stared at the men before him and then looked back to the teens. The eyes of Stanford Pines told the story of a man going through many thoughts at the same time; many of those thoughts waltzed with dollar signs. With a slow craning turn back to the group of young men, he cleared his throat.

"One moment please," Grunkle Stan gave them a small nod and then dashed back inside and pulled the four away from his gift-shop door, "okay, I want a solid, no bull opinion: the shack could survive these bozos giving it a rating, right?"

"What do you mean?" Soos asked in confusion, "they'll love it here! Everyone loves it here."

"I don't know," Dipper scratched as his sparse chin-hairs as he thought, "They look like they know what they're talking about. One of those guys looked like they were carrying an EMF-detector on their belt. They have some cool stuff."

"A what?" Grunkle Stan spat back.

"Electro-magnetic-field detector," Mabel beat her brother to the punch. Dipper stared at her, his mouth open, and she slowly grinned back to him, "I watched a lot of this show called 'Mission Fact'. They used stuff like that."

"You watched that too?" Dipper asked, a defining moment passing between the twins.

"Personally," Wendy chortled in, giving the men behind her a critical stare, "they look like a bunch of dorks in jackets they found in goodwill."

"Ah," Dipper almost choked, as his eyes had followed Wendy's, staring at the men, who peered at the meeting inside, "Yeah... they look so, uh, stupid. Yeah!" Dipper lied to himself, entirely wishing he looked slightly as cool as the guys out there did.

"I mean, it's not even a sunny day, and they're wearing sunglasses?" Wendy smirked as she teased out of eavesdropping distance.

"This could either put my shack- err, manor," Stan corrected himself, "on the map for every single naive tourist in the area to bleed their wallets into my buckets, or ruin it all and leave my business destroyed. Wait," he turned away from the group and approached the leader, "how much does this cost?"

"It's free of charge?" the young man answered. "Our website get's paid for content, so we don't charge for review."

"Hot damn!" Stan leapt into the air, clacking the heels of his shoes together, "please, allow me to prepare a tour for you fine guests! A few minutes please!" Stan said with his largest smile he could muster as he slammed the wooden door behind the screen one. "Okay! You two," Stan pointed to Dipper and Mabel instantly, "dust the museum. Make it look like I don't ignore it all my life when people aren't handing me cash. You two," he pointed to Wendy and Soos, "pull out the big guns. Anything that isn't falling apart in the storage is out in the open. Got it?"

"Grunkle Stan, are you sure it's a good idea to have these guys go through the museum? What if they actually know a thing or two about this paranormal mysterious creatures and anomalies stuff," Dipper asked with warning to his Grunkle, who approached a mirror and began to adjust his tie.

"If I wanted a reasonable and unwanted opinion I would have married. Now get to it!" Stan yelled loudly, having the four scatter quickly to the house, grabbing what cleaning supplies they could.

The mad rush began. Dipper and Mabel did their best to sweep away the dust that had accumulated in the long months of neglect, but the continued addition of older and even dustier collections made their chore an unending one. As soon as Dipper would sweep away one pile of dirt, Soos would wheel in another faux-tree monster, leaving a long trail of dust. The entire time Stan glared at them, ordering them to work faster and faster. The instant that he considered the path of the tour acceptable and full of things to ogle at, he lead the four downstairs, into the kitchen, and kicked them all out by the side door.

"Don't come in until you see the five leaving, or have already gone," Stan told them dangerously, daring them to disobey in this tense moment in his building's career.

"What are we supposed to do while you're in showing them your collection of stuffed animals?" Wendy shook her hat of collected cobwebs, and tossed her hair around her briefly, which Dipper did not miss the chance to stare at her in quiet awe.

"I don't know. Go play with the industrial equipment the workers left behind, you know, safe stuff," Grunkle Stan told them, and slammed the door in their faces. His muffled footsteps raced away as he charged to the other side of the building.

"I always did want to know how to operate one of those crane-thingies," Soos admitted, scratching his head through his cap.

"Aw, man, that'd be awesome! Maybe they left the keys in the exhaust!" Wendy excitedly told Soos as the two raced for the distant tractor.

"Maybe we could find a jackhammer and dig for treasure?" Dipper gave a suggestion for what to do without conviction.

"Hmm, I think I'll just do some more super-training," Mabel told him, stretching her neck slowly around. "Now that your arm is all better, you up for a little Mabel-tastic fitness?"

"Oh sure," Dipper rolled his eyes as he rolled his shoulders, "I'm up for it."

"Bet you can't do fifty laps around the house by the time the tour is done!" Mabel grinned as she started jogging.

"I bet you can't do fifty laps around the house while singing 'Chariots That Are On Fire' theme!" Dipper retorted with a wide smile. Mabel laughed as she took the lead, and took the bet instantly, loudly blurting out the notes to the epic and inspirational piece as best she could.

Within a few minutes, neither twin could accomplish the required task. Dipper was out of breath keeping up with Mabel, and Mabel had entirely forgotten the difference between singing and talking while running. The two panted to a slumbering stop back by the side door only twenty laps in. Dipper was impressed that he had managed to keep up with her, but more impressed that she had been able to continue singing even after the theme had ended, and added her own unique vocalizations.

Mabel was determined though- even out of breath, she exercised. Dipper at first was reluctant, his fatigue begging him for a moments rest. Then he realized Wendy had looked his way. Within a single split moment he went from lying on his back and panting to upright and following Mabel's actions as best he could. She was faster, but Dipper learned quick enough.

It wasn't until she was airborne in acrobatic dodges and attacks that Dipper called it quits, and just watched. Even Wendy and Soos approached the scene as Mabel effortlessly landed three flips in the air, one directly after another.

"Mabel!" Wendy gasped after another row of mid-air, upside down kicks, "what the heck dude!"

"What?" Mabel asked, catching herself upside down as she looked at the three of them.

"She's been learning from some sort of master of this stuff," Dipper told them as Mabel caught her breath for a quick moment, "so she's got some crazy moves."

"No kidding! Man, I thought what I saw from 'Tigerfist Two: Stripes and Palms' had some crazy stuff," Soos said with amazement, "but Mabel's really got it down."

"Aw stop it guys," Mabel said as she landed once more, fully upright and smiling with a slightly flushed face, "I'm just a beginner!"

"Yeah right!" Dipper barked.

"I wish I could show you guys my master," Mabel said wondrously, turning half way from them as she stared away, "she's like... awesome."

"Who?" Soos asked.

"In the martial art 'The Paths'," Dipper quickly said, "you're not allowed to use your teacher's name. Something about keeping their identity a secret."

"Why's that?" Wendy asked.

"My master explained it like this," Mabel looked to them, "the path's isn't about being the best at the entire range of skills. It's about learning to take what you do best and make it even better. A lot of people don't like that sort of thinking apparently," Mabel shrugged at the statement, "I don't know why they don't like it, but whatever. It also makes my teacher sound really cool and mysterious."

"Speaking of mysteries," Dipper interjected, "we were supposed to ask Grunkle Stan for that information, weren't we?"

"He should be done soon," Soos stated easily, "Why, I bet they'll come out of that door looking like they've had just the time of their lives."

The doors did slam open, and out marched the five men, scowling and shaking their heads. Stan ran ahead of them, his arms outstretched to prevent their departure.

"Look, it's off season right now! I needed replacements for the real deals!" Stan reasoned with those before him.

"Nothing in the entire building indicated that there was anything of worth to our time. If it doesn't raise a question, it doesn't get a good score," Geoffrey told Stan with a tone of true disappointment, "Mister Pines, you're just running a side-show of well made taxidermy altered to look... freaky."

"Whoa, that's a first," Dipper admitted. No one had, to Dipper's recollection, ever called out his well-spoken grand uncle on the phoniness of his Mystery Shack. There was a rushing past him. Mabel was marching post-haste towards the group near the van.

"Look fellas, I admit it doesn't look great, but this area is full of weird stuff! I'm tellin' ya!" Stan tried further, a tone of desperation in his voice.

"We're not interested. Your building was a waste of our time, and we'll make sure no one else wastes their time coming here. One of ten, easily," Luke told Stan as he adjusted his sunglasses.

"Hey!" Mabel suddenly called, catching their attention, "he's not lying! There is weird stuff around here!"

"Look, maybe you've been raised around here," the man named Marcus said to Mabel, "but those... uh, things in there? I mean, Unicorn-on-the-cob? Man, Unicorns don't even exist."

"I wasn't raised around here, and yes they do!" Mabel stated, walking closer to them, staring at them defiantly despite their impressive height. "Unicorns do exist!"

"Uh-huh. You're living in a fantasy world, kid," Marcus laughed to his friends.

"Except she's not," Dipper added as Mabel clenched her fists while glaring at the man before her, "Unicorns are real. They act like total jerks though. We've seen them in these woods," Dipper pointed around them, "and a whole mess of other weird stuff!"

Maybe it was the concept of a male teenager stating that Unicorns were real, as opposed to the girl, that silenced the men. Luke lowered his sunglasses, checking in with Dipper and Mabel. When their gazes neither flinched nor shook, he looked to Soos and Wendy.

"How about you two?" he asked to them.

"Oh dude," Soos shook his head as he gave a warning look to the men, "you wouldn't even believe what happened yesterday. Or the day before that. Or they day before that. Or the day-"

"And you?" Luke turned to Wendy, "you live around here?" Wendy blankly stared at him for a moment, and then nodded. "Seen anything odd?"

"You could say that," Wendy replied quietly.

"Look, I'll be honest," Stan suddenly added, removing his Fez from the top of his head, "you caught me at a bad time. I'm in my off-season, you know? People don't really go driving around the countryside when they have their kids in school and they're working full time still. Why don't you five guys head down in town- there's a great diner you can head to! When you come back," Stan stepped up, his hand open to the sky just before them, "I'll show you something really-" Stan flicked his hand slightly, producing an ace of spaces from seemingly no where, "worth your time."

The five exchanged looks. Between the conviction of the four younger occupants of the building and the owner's insistence that there was something to his establishment, they seemed less certain to grade this location a failure and true tourist trap. Luke and Geoffrey turned to Ben, the only man who hadn't spoken up so far.

"There were a few anomalous readings on our way here," Ben shrugged, pushing the bridge of his sunglasses up against his nose, "maybe we can give them an hour to figure themselves out?"

"EMF detectors can act stupid," Geoffrey told Ben, who nodded quickly, "but... we did drive all the way out here... ugh, okay. Sir," Geoffrey rounded on Stan, "we'll head to this Diner. When we get back, we want a real paranormal experience. No more cheap tricks, no more," he pilled the card out of Stan's hand and flicked it back into his face, "slight of hands. Let's go guys."

As they turned, Wendy stuck her leg out. Ben tripped over it quickly, and Marcus and Geoffrey tripped over him. Wendy remained undetected as she slipped her foot back to a perfectly normal place, and leant closer to them, cooing to them as they struggled to rise back up.

"Careful there you guys. Long jackets like that totally can mess people up, you know," she told them with a glint in her eyes. Mabel snickered and high-fived Wendy quietly.

"Ow. Right," Geoffrey groaned as he and the others climbed back into their van, the three dusting themselves off while wincing. The Gravel had not been kind to their inexperienced fall. "Remember," Geoffrey poked his head out of the van and above the windshield to speak to Stan, "one hour. Then we pass our final judgment."

"Of course!" Stan assured them, waving wide his hand above him. The van's wheels rolled it away, disappearing down the road until it vanished, where then Stan clapped a hand to his head. "Damn college students!"

"That's who they were?" Dipper asked, turning to Stan.

"No. Grad-school students, which is even worse!" Grunkle Stan groaned, "I've never had to deal with a group like that before! They really did their research! Had a thousand and one questions for every single thing! Gah! Okay, okay, so... so... the Mystery Manor is standing on the brink of total failure now," Grunkle Stan told them worriedly.

"Oh come on, Stan," Wendy groaned, "you can't really think these guys are actually trusted by anyone?"

"Well, I follow people online who dress and act crazier than those five," Mabel admitted, "but at least 'Crazy-Eating-Hour' admit to being nutso."

"Okay, you two," Stan looked to the twins, "I can't believe I'm actually hopeful for telling you this, but I need you two to find something crazy out there and bring it back to the shack."

"Wait, you actually want us to do this?" Dipper inquired, his mouth falling open in shock.

"It's like we're being hired to do what we do anyway!" Mabel told Dipper, pulling on his vest as she jumped excitedly in place.

"Yeah, you know, just do your thing! Get something back here that gives them a chance to _not_ sink my life's investment!" Stan asked them strongly.

"Don't worry, Grunkle Stan!" Mabel saluted and then grasped her brother and held him close, "with our luck to run into life-threatening situations, we'll come back with something definitely weird!"

"Something dangerous, if you can manage," Stan told them, adjusting his hat, "maybe a manticore, if they're out there still. Just don't get yourselves killed, you got it?"

"We got it," Dipper nodded. He gave the journal in his vest a solid pat, looked to his sister, and the to of them hurried off into the woods together.

"So, bro-dee-bro," Mabel started conversation a minute after entering the woods, much safer than the last time they had go running off looking for a Doppelganger, as she lightly boxed his shoulder with her fists, "what's the plan?"

"Well," Dipper pulled out the journal and started skimming through, "the thing is we kind of have a whole mess of weird stuff that we can bring back with us. You know, Gnomes are dangerous," Dipper suggested.

"Ugh. The last thing I want is a favor with Jeff," Mabel stuck out her tongue, "besides, they look too much like us. Those PP people could just claim their just short people. Oh!" she pointed to a picture of a large long tail-feathered bird, flames bursting from its eyes, "maybe that!"

"A phoenix? According to the journal, they're dangerous and almost impossible to find. Constantly burning to anyone the bird doesn't trust," Dipper paraphrased, "or... maybe not. Same deal- a sleeping dragon would probably just burn everything down."

"How about that one?" Mabel pointed again, passing a page full of crystals. "Those little crystals were harmless, weren't they?"

"Hmm... they can't exactly be dangerous, and the light refractions they cause induce cellular growth on a healthy level without killing anyone," Dipper thought aloud, his sister opening her mouth in a groan, "what? What did I say that was too much nerd?"

"Everything?" she told him with a poke.

"Ow. Well, I'd have to find the crystal grove again anyway. I think that's the other direction too, so maybe we should rule that out for now," Dipper said as he turned the page. Then there was a loud yelp, in the bushes ahead. Dipper and Mabel stalled their movement, both watching ahead of them, ready to run or fight at a moments notice. Then a well-dressed, two foot tall figure stepped out, walking to them with open arms and a wide smile under his long nose.

"Ah! Dipper Pines!" the Goblin sentinel approached them, extending his arm towards Dipper.

"Sibs!" Dipper called back, eagerly shaking his hand.

"And the sister to Dipper, Mabel Pines!" Sibs smiled to Mabel, holding his hand to Mabel, "the great defeater of the woodland shapeshifter."

"I have a title like that?" Mabel gasped as she took his hand and vigorously shook it, "wow! Hardcore."

"Indeed. You both are heroes to the goblin community. We've had our first taste of old, fear free life since before the release of the shapeshifter two years ago," Sibs told them with a warm smile, "well, at least until the peace between us and the Gnomes wear off."

"Forest battles?" Mabel asked with excitement, "totally let us know when that's going down. The Gnomes are huge jerks."

"Mabel," Dipper scolded her, "don't encourage political upheaval and war please."

"Sorry," Mabel smacked the side of her head, "what was I thinking? But seriously," Mabel leaned closer to Sibs, "let us know." Sibs chuckled as he looked between the two teens.

"Well, what brings you to these woods?" Sibs asked the two of them, looking between them with a happy expectancy. "Anything I can help you with?"

"Actually," Mabel said slowly at first, "maybe there is. Dipper and I are looking around for something, or someone really cool to bring back to the Mystery Manor to show these official paranormal investigators that these lands are totally legit with monst- er, people like you!" she quickly corrected herself, as Dipper had cleared his throat at her almost usage of the word 'monster'.

"I say. How interesting that someone would need to investigate these woods at all. They merely need to ask for our maps and we can provide it to them, as long as they stay clear of our farms," Sibs added with warning.

"They're not that kind of investigators. They... Sibs," Dipper thought for a moment and tried again, "we need your help. These people don't believe that people like you exist. It's for the benefit of the the-"

"Ah, I'm afraid," Sibs bowed his head slightly, a disappointed look in his eyes, "I have to reject your idea."

"What? How come?" Mabel demanded.

"As is stated by Goblin law, we are not permitted to interact with outsiders without direct cause to. Allowing you to introduce me to these 'investigators' would violate that law," Sibs told them.

"But you met me," Dipper argued.

"Only under the pretense that you were the shapeshifter. Had we not been under alert that he was in our area, I would have disregarded you as a passer by," Sibs explained, truly sounding upset he could not help them. "I'm sorry, but I cannot leave my post for this."

"Aw, duck-sauce!" Mabel exclaimed angrily.

"But... perhaps I can direct you to where you can find something of worth," Sibs said cleverly, a small smile finally returning to his face.

"Wait, really?" Dipper asked excitedly.

"I can at least offer some help to the friends of Goblitropolis," Sips said as he turned in one direction, leading them towards a collection of tall mountains in the distance, "follow me friends. It's a short journey to the grove of earth."

"The grove of what?" Dipper and Mabel both repeated.

"For as long as Goblins have roamed these woods, which is... oh, I don't know, a while I suppose," Sibs guessed earnestly, "we have remained aware of a strange, ancient region in the forest that is to be respected and treated with care. Over time we have called it the grove of earth."

"Why is it the grove of earth?" Dipper asked as he passed under a large branch, pushing himself under and past it.

"We find many precious stones in the clearing of the grove, "Sibs admitted, "some of the stones we used to seal the Shapeshifter in it's final form were from the grove of the earth. Many magical forces do drift through these woods, and the grove collects much of it."

"Wow. So we're going to something really ancient and cool?" Mabel asked as pulled herself up onto a branch above them and started hopping from tree to tree.

"I suppose so, "Sibs nodded in agreement. Mabel poked her brother directly on the head as she passed above him, swinging from branch to branch with many of the low-hanging vines on these trees. Mabel had to drop down finally, realizing that the thickest part of the forest was up ahead, and stayed behind Dipper as they followed Sibs through the trees. Branches and leaves grew at ground level know, and the twins struggled to keep up with Sibs, still under all the vegetation. "There, pass those leafs," Sibs pointed to a wall of plant ahead, life bleeding through the thick brush.

"Awesome," Dipper nodded, saluting the sentinel, "we owe you."

"Do not worry about debts," Sibs shook his head as he walked past the twins, heading back, "however, don't tarry here. This place is both wondrous, and dangerous. Nature has a hold over this land."

A hold was a clear understatement. It was as if the forest had somehow melded into a jungle and meadow at the same time. Thick, low hanging vegetation clustered tightly by the floor, where small flickers of light and twinkles of stone glinted to the twins. Acting as a veil between this large clearing of trees was the vine-like, leafy they had just passed through. As their eyes scanned ahead, the land curved downwards, a gentle slope towards the center. There were large boulders near the center, some covered in vines and others in moss, making a larger inner circle.

"A hold huh?" Mabel said, spinning around to give the surrounding forest clearing, "maybe she'd shake our hand."

"Take what you can, and leave in a hurry," Sibs said as he slid back through the wall, "I bid you both good day."

"Thanks sibs!" The twins said as they watched the explorer slide away quietly.

"Alright, something cool," Mabel glanced around quickly, her eyes darting between the flickering light below her, casting glinting rainbows in her face, "oh! Look at this one!" She reached down and quickly lifted a gemstone, surprisingly shiny despite not being polished. "Or this one!" Mabel tossed the first one and found another. "OH! This one for sure!" she dived to another one after dropping the second.

Dipper laughed as Mabel dug around like an excited puppy, digging through the ground after the glinting stones. Dipper wasn't sure that any one of these stones could really count as particularly effective. He didn't doubt Sibs' authenticity- they probably did have some sort of magical properties, hence why they shined without polishing. But bringing a few gems without an immediate reaction or effect would just seal the Mystery Manor's fate. They needed something with more 'umph'.

"Oh," Mabel had almost run straight into a boulder, "excuse me, mister rock," Mabel patted the boulder, and climbed it easily, digging her fingers where there was sufficient grip and lifting herself up. "Oh, Dipper! Get up here! This place looks so cool from up here!"

"One sec," Dipper strained, still unable to perform the same physical feats his sister could perform. After two unsuccessful tries, she reached down, and assisted him up, holding his arm tightly as he climbed up. "Wow, you aren't kidding," Dipper admitted when he turned and stared out.

From their height, they could easily spot the many, possibly hundreds, of crystals and gems laid into the ground. They glistened and shone perfectly, as if a wave of energy passed through the area, creating a cascade of light that shone counter-clockwise, rippling around the inner circle of this nature's sanctuary. As Dipper and Mabel followed the path of the wave of light, they eventually faced the inside center of the area, and both gasped.

"That," they looked to each other before looking back to the center of the area, inside the circle of boulders. A smooth stone laid in the exposed dirt, as the plants did not grow past the boulders. It was pitch black, almost like it could not reflect color of any type. Yet as they watched it, it produced a shine of a rainbow- a sparkling ethereal flash of light that caused them to gasp. Neither of them had ever seen anything like it before.

"What is that?" Mabel whispered as she stared.

"That's our ticket to saving the Mystery Manor," Dipper told her and they again looked to one another, grinning. They didn't have much to work with, but something that emanated light like that while being pitch black certainly was worth investigation.

Dipper and Mabel slid down the boulder's side and towards the stone. Approaching it, they continued to exchange glances, as if to reconcile any worries or doubts they had, or just to share their excitement. This was it had been like three years ago, way back when two twelve year olds ran around the woods looking for werewolves and other monsters. Something like this could be more than just a way to save the Mystery Manor- it could be their next big mystery.

"Here goes nothing," Dipper said, and re reached forward with both hands, and touched the rock. They gasped; as his fingertips slid against the almost glass-like texture, light poured out from under his hands. "Holy crud, that's... really pretty," Dipper gasped as he stared at his hands, an aurora pouring out from under his hands.

"Wait, does that mean-" Mabel decided to test her theory first, ask questions later. She prodded her finger out and tapped the side. The light poured and then was whisked away as her touch fell away. "Omigoshthatssocool!" she spun around and hopped at the same time, whirling around like a tornado.

"Let's see if it's heavy," Dipper tried feeling the fingers around the imperfect contours of the smooth stone, and found its base. With a small grunt, he tried lifting upwards. The stone followed within his hands. The ground was flooded with the same kind of aurora of rainbows, as light poured out from his fingers. "We need to show this to them and then figure out what this is about."

The two sprinted out of the gully as fast as their legs could permit, and as fast as Dipper could go considering Mabel's impressive training. The young teen couldn't resist grabbing each branch and tossing herself forward slightly, climbing trees and dancing above Dipper as he ran ahead, swinging off vines- there was something about this discovery that put them in a wonderful mood.

The way it shone as they ran through the woods made everything in the world easier to handle, as if the issues and clear problems of life slowly evaporated before them. Maybe the rock induced a kind of euphoric effect. They were elated, the twins; laughing to one another as if they had just uncovered the greatest secret to life that there had ever been.

The Mystery Manor finally appeared in the distance, and the two broke for it. Not a muscle in their bodies complained as they rushed ahead, Dipper cradling the magnificent stone in his hands. Stan was leaning against the side of the wall, tapping his foot nervously as he watched the road.

"Grunkle Stan!" Mabel screamed as they charged over. The man spun to face them, and gasped.

"Whoa! Call me a beggar and throw me some change, that's one heck of a... what the heck is it?" Stan gasped as the object in Dipper's arms finally came into distance.

"A stone!" Mabel declared, "and just watch- GUYS!" Mabel screamed again to the shack, "SOOS! WENDY!" Barely a moment passed before the sounds of running steps echoed against the wooden floors. Soos appeared first, and Mabel couldn't wait. "Soos! Check it out!" Mabel stroked the side of the stone with her fingers, and the trail of light followed beautifully. Soos' eyes widened and his mouth fell open as he approached hypnotically.

"Oh wow. Do that again hambone," Soos asked, and Mabel did so, both Soos and Stan watched the stone as it shimmered. "That's some freaking cool looking thing. What does it do?"

"We don't know," Dipper admitted, yet sounded entirely excited with this prospect. Finally Wendy stepped out, looking around quickly, her eyes darting to Dipper and Mabel. "Wendy! Look! Mabel, do it again!" Mabel complied, and Dipper laughed and turned his eyes to Wendy.

His own smile faded when he looked to her. Wendy's expression was polar opposite to what he had expected. He face was stunned, almost shocked as she looked to the stone. Those strong green eyes gazed into the unrecorded object, locked onto the shimmering trail of light before it faded, but continued to stare afterwards. It was like she saw something else inside the rock Dipper held, and he felt that same magical warmth fade from him as he recognized the look in Wendy's eyes- worry.

"Wendy?" he asked loudly. She gasped and looked back to him.

"Huh? Yeah!" she nodded, "that's really something you two found. It kind of seems dangerous though, doesn't it?"

"What?" Stan laughed loudly as he turned to the red-head, "don't be ridiculous! It's a freaking touch-activated rock-bulb. How cool is that!?"

"I don't know," Wendy still stood her ground, taking a cautious step closer to the object, "where did you guys find it?"

"In a forest clearing," Mabel declared, the gleam in her eyes matching in intensity to the strength of her excited smile, "in a circle surrounded by pretty rocks and boulders. Some awesome stuff, but this was the king of cool!"

"I bet," Wendy nodded halfheartedly in reply, stepping closer to the stone. Dipper watched her. She reached out with her hand to touch it as the others had, but then she recoiled, holding her hand away from it. "Maybe we should put it back, you know dude?"

"Ha! Yeah right! As soon as those bozos are done apologizing to me," Stan told her as he wrapped an arm around Dipper, "and me and Dipper here go have a guys night out for saving the Mystery Manor, that's going on a pedestal for all the world to see and poke at- for twenty bucks each!"

"C'mon Wendy," Soos patted his co-workers back, "when did a glowing dark rock thingy ever cause harm?"

Wendy frowned and looked to Dipper. It had been a long time since Dipper had the chance to connect with another soul with the simple look between the eyes, aside from him and Mabel doing it consistently. It had happened once with Wendy before, in the cave of the Shapeshifter, and it happened here now. Dipper felt Wendy's convictions; she truly felt the object was somehow putting them at harm.

"Maybe, uh," Dipper suddenly piped up, no longer confident about his choice of souvenir from the forest, "we can put it back and then lead them to the spot? We can say we just found and that it'll be an attraction to tourists soon enough?"

"Look Dipper, I know Wendy's all freaking out," Stan gave him a weary look, "but this rock thingy? C'mon, look at it! You just feel all... young and happy when you look at it. Eugh. Remind me to only have you bunch mess around with it for now on," Stan told them as he turned away from it. "Now, go put it inside on a shelf or something for now. Actually heck, just go knock off the Jackalope stuff and put it on that pedestal."

Dipper gave Wendy one more look. She said nothing, but her gaze plead for action. Nothing short of taking it back into the forest would appease her. Then again, this would only be for a short while. The North Pacific Paranormal People would be returning from their gambit at Greasy's Diner, and would be directed quickly to the stone. Maybe all they had to do is keep the stone for an hour, maybe even only thirty minutes.

"Let's go put it inside, for now," Dipper said to them all, but keeping his stare with Wendy. She blinked and shook her head. The pressure to please that Dipper was riding on tightened and latched against his heart. Had he let her down?

"Well, c'mon bro!" Mabel tugged and pulled Dipper inside, leading him inside, past the others, "let's do the honors of welcoming the newest member of the Mystery Twins discovered oddities!"

"Mabel," Dipper said as he and his sister walked inside, past the Gift shop and towards the museum they had worked on earlier, "I'm thinking Wendy is on to something."

"Pfff, she's just being cautious," Mabel waved a hand easily, "you know, since every other time we come out of the woods something was chasing slash stalking us."

"She seemed worried about it," Dipper added, pouring some of his own guilt from not listening to her into that statement. Mabel's ears detected it, and turned to him. He spotted her gaze, and not wanting to let on his feelings, added, "I mean, if you were that freaked out, or I was, wouldn't you be a little, you know, nervous?"

"Hmm... you raise a good point," Mabel nodded in thought as they continued to walk towards the Jackalope stand, "and she's pretty good with that whole 'detecting' weird stuff thing. Like how she knew the shapeshifter wasn't you? Wonder how she does it..."

"I don't know, and really I don't care. If it helps with us, we can ask questions later," Dipper told her strongly. Mabel gasped, placing her hands at her cheeks as she stared at him. "What?" Dipper asked her.

"Dipper Pines: mystery and puzzle addict, willing to put aside a chance to understand something just because it's someone we trust? Wow!" Mabel poked his nose, "dork."

"Ack," Dipper waved his face away from her prod, "I just trust Wendy. It's not like I stay up late thinking about Wendy's mysteries," Dipper lied.

"Uh huh," Mabel gave her brother a critical stare, analyzing his well constructed poker face. If she had sought a weakness in his facial defense, she wound up disappointed. Mabel took her frustrated look and directed the energy towards the pedestal. "Well, put it down," she told Dipper as he gave the stone on more look. He went to wipe off any remaining dirt from the bottom, and yet found nothing. With gentle ease, he placed the mystical stone on the pedestal.

"Well, let's hope nothing comes of this, aside from keeping the Mystery Manor in business," Dipper told his sister as he stared that the barely shimmering black stone.

"Pfft. What could possibly go wrong?" Mabel gave his brother an elbow.

A moment passed where they stood across one another, staring to one another, awaiting fate's inevitable ironic twist to Mabel's words. Yet nothing came. No explosion, no cry for help, not even a tremor of the ground. No sigh of Murphy's law appearing in their day. Dipper actually nodded, satisfied with the result.

"That's a nice change," he admitted.

"Yeah, I was kind of expecting a scary voice from the stone after I said that, or maybe a boom from the-" there was a rumble from the ground, and the two groaned, "Oh, come on! Really? Can we, just for once, not have-" more shaking booms were following the original.

"That can't be good!" Dipper shouted as they both turned away and ran towards the door. Bursting out of the gift shop door, the twins found the three outside staring at the distant canopy of the woods. The booms were even louder, and birds were darting out of trees. Then trees were collapsing in the wake of these booms. More and more earth trembling shakes heralded the astounding arrival of the coming danger.

Huge figures, shaped like humans more or less, comprised of stone, moss, tree, vine, and plant stepped out of the woods, easily as tall as the Mystery Manor. Their features were varied, as one approaching creature was comprised entirely of a massive tree, using a split trunk as feet and legs, and two very thick and long branches as arms. Another was a boulder covered in moss, held together by some unseen force of magic, as smaller rocks acted as stubby arms and legs with hands and feet of fist sized rocks. Four of these beings strode out of the woods, the moss-covered boulder being the lead. It came to a stop just before the Mystery Manor, and turned to the others.

Lowering itself to speak to the four watching it in fear, it rumbled in a slow, dangerous growl, "I seek the thief."

Dipper gulped, and then Wendy prodded his shoulder with her elbow. "Told you guys."

* * *

><p>The North Pacific Paranormal People, the greatest competition Ghost Chasers have had in their long running show. No, sorry, there won't be any direct crossovers with Supernatural, so don't cross your fingers... yet. ;)<p>

Classic rock! Wow. Bet you were expecting something a bit more musically inclined. Well, there was Duskhope in there. And that rock thing seemed classy. So HA! But on a 'Author has stuff planned wink wink nudge nudge', you should start remembering the little things in this chapter and those to come.

Brownie or cookie points go to whoever gets what I'm almost directly referencing in the national tabloid Stan read.

Well, hope you guys enjoyed the chapter! I'll see you guys-

(A large boulder comes crashing through the ceiling, crushing EZB and his entire room in it's weight. Riding the boulder is Metallica, performing a sick performance for the viewers because 'Hey? Why not?')


	13. Classic Rock: Part 2

The five stared up at the colossal creatures that had stomped out of the forest moments ago. This mixed reactions between them was astounding. Mabel's eyes shone with excitement and wonder and Dipper mimed that with muted expression; Soos's mouth had fallen open and he looked at the monsters in shock. Wendy and Stan shared a mutual look of fear and wonderment.

"Show us the thief," the large moss-covered entity repeated.

Four hands pushed Dipper forward, who slid against the ground. He hadn't even noticed the change in distance between himself and the large creatures until the speaker seemed to focus on him. The face on the 'head' boulder had eyes that were etched into the side, slowly turning to stare at Dipper.

"Thanks guys," Dipper groaned under his breath to those behind him. A monstrous stomp told the approach of the speaking monster, and it leaned down to face Dipper, looking at him face to face.

"Are you the thief of the grove?" the mossy boulder rumbled, its rocky mouth twisted and operating as a normal mouth, but still entirely solid stone. "The one who took the Starkissed of Conservation?"

"The what of the what?" Dipper asked, trying his best not to appear intimidated by the huge monster before him. "Starkissed?"

"The stone, child," the one far behind the boulder, made of trees twisted around one another and growing together spoke in a kinder, forgiving tone, "made of light and darkness."

"Quiet," the mossy boulder spoke behind him, his rocky head twisted perfectly in a circle to speak to the tree, "they should know what they stole."

"Humans are fallible- they may not have intended to steal the rock," the tree defended itself, bitter at being spoken down to by its rocky comrade, "a reminder isn't out of the question."

"I am trying to interrogate here!" the boulder turned entirely, walking to his enchanted companions.

As the two monsters spoke, Dipper turned back half way, looking to those behind him. The newly acquired status as emissary between these two parties was a frightening position to juggle along with his own guilt. He did feel responsible for not taking Wendy's words of warning more seriously.

"Advice?" he whispered to the four behind him.

"Ask them what their sign is," Mabel suggested eagerly, "that's a quick ice-breaker and it's a good way to ensure no hard feelings come about this!"

"This isn't a date Mabel," Dipper told her coldly.

"Maybe if you introduce yourself as a proud leader of humanity, and warn them of the repercussions of instigating an invasion, that human kind will react viciously and not stop until vengeance is settled," Soos tried. The four looked at him, and he laughed, clonking himself aside the head, "oh, what am I thinking? That's just the plot for "Evotar: The Last Spacebender. Then again, all that changed when the solar nation attacked."

"I can try shooting at them if you distract them?" Grunkle Stan tried, "bring out some of the heavier caliber babies."

"Why don't we pretend to acknowledge the fact these guys are made of trees, stone, and dirt," Dipper reminded them, "guns can't do anything, and we can't hope to threaten them! Look at them!" Dipper pointed to the mossy boulder, "his finger is the size of your head Soos!"

"That's a pretty big finger," Soos nodded with recognition.

"Maybe we need to give the rock back," Dipper tried carefully. Not to his surprise, Stan was quick to object.

"Yeah right! If these bozos blow up my shack, at least I'll have had something to show those researcher grubs. But if we give the stone back, we have nothing for the shack, and it might as well have been crushed anyway!" Stan told him with conviction.

"Maybe you can try offering them something?" Wendy piped in, having stared at the beings of natural construction.

"Offer them... something?" Dipper repeated.

"Wait, yeah," Stan stepped up to Dipper, a hand on his shoulder, "all you got to do is find out what they want. Maybe they need something that isn't that crazy rock thing inside?"

"This sounds like something your better at," Dipper noted.

"Maybe, but I don't think these guys can buy into my shmact. If they want the real deal, it needs to come from someone who knows how to actually try to relate to the customer," Stan told Dipper, "trust me, I lost that talent a while ago."

Dipper sighed. This would be one of those memories he had spoken about at Grunkle Stans not-actual funeral: one he wasn't certain he was going to walk away from intact. These monsters looked like they could push a finger against your head and just shove you into the dirt like a golf tee. Yet he strode forward, approaching the arguing beasts.

"If we needed a break-" one of them interjected their companions.

"Hey," Dipper cleared his throat and asked loudly. The four stop and turned to face Dipper, who stared up at them, craning his head as beads of sweat formed under his cap. "Uh, hi. You guys said you needed a break? Are you tired?"

"We haven't had to walk for over six hundred years," the tree moaned, shacking his leg in the air.

"We have a mission-" the mossy boulder angrily cut off his friends chances to add more complaints.

"Well, maybe what you need is a massage?" Dipper guessed, stepping closer, trying to act as casual as he could.

"A... massage?" one of the four, who appeared to be a vine construct of many small rocks and broken pieces of trees, the thing lines of plant woven tightly together.

"What is this object you speak of?" The tree asked, leaning closer to Dipper, who had a chance to see the haunting face of a tree that molded itself to have human like appearance, but with no eyes, nose or significant mouth structure.

"It's not an object. A massage is when you give someone a backrub, or you stretch their skin- err, I guess bark? Limbs? So that they can feel better," Dipper struggled to explain.

"Stretched?!" the vine creature exclaimed, slightly scared of the insinuations, and the vines that made up its body seemed to coil around the stones and wood slightly tighter.

"Not to the point where you fall apart!" Dipper assured him, "just enough to feel nice! Uh, here," he wove the tree to bring its hand over. "I think this would work on you?" Dipper mumbled under his breath, still not convinced that a massage could hope to work on creatures made of mostly inanimate material. "I just push into the bark and- ow! You got some rough area there," Dipper commented as his skin scrapped against the side, but the tree creature gasped in awe.

"That was extraordinary!" the tree turned to his comrades, "I feel slightly more alert!"

"Did he cast a spell upon you?" The mossy rock demanded, fearfully staring at his tree ally.

"No, he gave me... a _massage_," the tree being said blissfully.

"It sounds like you all have never gotten one before," Dipper grinned at his accomplishment, trying to ignore the rough skin on his hands, "tell you what, we'll give you a sample massage for no charge. Just give us... uh, and hour? Yeah, an hour to prepare for the necessary-"

"Perhaps we will take you on your offer, kind child," the wooden construct happily bent down to speak to Dipper, but a rock hand suddenly pushed aside the tree with a shove.

"As soon as you have handed over our stone, that is," the mossy boulder demanded, stern as ever.

"Maybe you want a polish?" Dipper suggested to angered boulder, "or, uh, that moss may be itchy. We can scrub it off!"

"This moss," the boulder took a booming step closer to Dipper, who stumbled back, "is my proud acknowledgement of my ever vigilant stand to protect the most important spot in our world. To scrub this away would be a insult to my honor!" the rock roared at Dipper. The poor teen fell back from the sheer volume of the anger, staring helplessly at the giant creature. "You know nothing of our task, human boy."

Dipper started to stand, but a well dressed man strode in front of him quickly. Helping Dipper stand was his sister, and two more pairs of footsteps came up behind him.

"Okay, okay, tough guy, look here," Grunkle Stan spoke back to the giant boulder, "I don't know what stuck up, rotten little job you and your earth worm collecting friends are all into, but around here, when someone offers your something for free, you take it! That was a freebee and you threw it aside. Bad form!"

"We are not earth-worm-collectors," the fourth, mostly unspoken creature suddenly added, a quieter voice than the others had. It was, ironically made of what seemed to be mud and clay, and could easily be carrying a few worms inside his magical body.

"We are golems," the tree creature told Stan pleasantly, "Golems of the great earth spirits."

"Earth spirits?" Mabel gasped.

"Our task," the mossy golem reiterated, "has been to guard the Starkissed stone until the great council should ever return," it told them proudly, "our great task will go beyond your years and your children's years."

"Well, 'guardians'," Stan quoted the word with his fingers sarcastically, "you clearly did such a good job preventing two teenagers from stealing the most precious stone in the world, didn't you?"

"You trying being enchanted to life after six hundred years of rest!" The vine golem argued. "It's no easy task! Even for us golems!"

"Do not stand between our task and our masters goals," the mossy golem warned dangerously.

"Fine, fine," Stan relented, waving two hands into the air, "okay, you want it back, I'll give it back."

"Excellent," the mossy golem sighed, his boulder shoulders dropping in supposed relief, "I can't wait to go back to sleep."

"But just let us borrow it for an hour," Stan quickly added, pleading for its stay, "my building here will be a perfectly safe place for it to stay for a tad bit longer. Come on pals, what do you say?"

"Absolutely not!" the mossy golem shouted.

"As our mission states," the wooden golem added, "we cannot permit the Starkissed from leaving the grove, as it is our strongest location."

"Hand it back, or suffer our wrath!" The mossy golem bellowed. He then heaved, and the others stepped up, holding him back.

"Moss, you need to relax," the clay golem said to his ally.

"Yeah, you're making us look like an angered gorgon," the tree golem piped in.

"Sorry! I'm just tired still. Rocks don't like being woken up without a good cause." The four golems began to converse quietly to one another, trying to soothe their agitated leader and friend.

"Dipper," Mabel piped up quietly, pulling her brother away from the four discussion golems, "Maybe I can do something about this."

"What do you mean?" he asked quickly.

"The Paths," Mabel told him quickly, her eyes widening in excitement.

"What? You're going to fight them?!" Dipper demanded as quietly as he could, not loving the idea one bit, "Mabel, they're made of stone and stuff!"

"I've broken boards before," Mabel told him, but continued, "and I don't want to fight them. I think I can communicate with the spirits."

"Their earth spirits or whatever?" Dipper asked, as the other three noticed their chat, "what good will that do?"

"Maybe if I can explain our situation and that we don't want to take it away from them to their boss spirit," Mabel said as Wendy, Soos, and Stan tuned in, "then they'll leave us alone and we can return the glowy rock of coolness later!"

"That sounds awfully convenient," Soos told Mabel.

"So what, you'll just pop by a home of the spirit and tell them to have these guys chill out?" Stan asked his grand-niece, "that does sound too convenient."

"Can you do it?" Dipper asked his sister directly, looking deep into her eyes for the answer before she could hope to say it. He saw it just as he had expected to.

"Duh," she grinned with that same confidence she had always resounded with. "I just need a little time to find a quiet spot where I can meditate. My master did it once- how hard can it be?"

"Wait, you've never done this before?" Wendy checked in with Mabel. the brunette shrugged but looked nonplussed about the idea of a first attempt. "It's better than trying to appeal to their humanity."

"How long will it take?" Dipper asked.

"Eh. Thirty Minutes?" Mabel told them easily. "At least I think so."

"Okay... Okay, Mabel, head inside on my word and head out the backdoor to wherever you need to go," Stan told her, "lets do what I do best- con these suckas." Stan turned and was followed by the four towards the Golems. "Excuse me, rocky people!" The four stopped their consoling and turned. "Okay, your right. We stole it, we're totally sorry, okay?"

"You will hand it back to us?" the mossy golem quickly demanded.

"Yes! Of course!" Stan replied in an exasperated breath, "my niece will go inside to find the Starwished or whatever. But we put it into a heavy safe, so it will take a few minutes to take out. Just bare with us, okay?" Stan asked them. The mossy golem seemed quickly ready to argue, but the others gave him a strong look, and it relented.

"Very well. How long must we wait?"

"Uh," Stan turned to Mabel and nodded her off, "thirty minutes. Then you can take your crazy stone and leave my establishment before you become permanent lawn decorations."

Mabel turned and ran, charging inside the Mystery Manor as soon as she could. With a wink to those she left behind, she darted past the doorway and quickly into the kitchen. She would need a match or lighter or some sort, maybe salts, a bottle of water- the exact materials her master had told her about weren't clear in the fifteen year olds mind. It would be close enough, she reasoned.

With the materials stuffed into her pants pockets, she ran across the building to the back door, and peeked outside. The Golems couldn't be spotted, and she assumed she was safe to move on. He feet quietly pattered across the grassy yard, running into the woods for the second time that day.

There were requirements for this kind of meditation. First she needed a very quiet spot; something easier to find without the construction workers going crazy with their job. Second she needed a place where she could be at peace. Sadly enough, the forest was not currently one of those places. With her brother around, Mabel certainly knew the feeling of ease, but alone, it was slightly more edgy and dangerous.

The eccentric girl did know of a place that could help her. Not too far, by the mountains that surrounded the town, she knew of a mostly intact mine shaft. There, she may be able to find peace. At least more at ease than the woods- if she placed her butt down in the middle of a tunnel, there would be only two directions something monstrous could attack from.

Leaping over several wide bushes, she finally spotted the inclining hill that held the entrance. It even made sense to her- earth elementals should obviously be found in caves. It was a no brainer.

The climb was quick and her breath was steady as she stepped inside the dark tunnel. A rusted and worn mine railing laid at her feet. Stopping her breath for a moment, she listened ahead, into the darkness that awaited. No moans, growls, hisses or roars. With a curt shrug, she walked inside.

Not only was it dark, but it was damp. Mabel could hear the pitter patter of dripping water around her. She stepped into a cold puddle, the splashing shooting up her pants legs and causing her a quick shiver. Nearly stumbling in her misstep by the puddle, she found dry dirt. Taking a few more precautious steps away from the dripping water, Mabel finally nestled down.

"Oookay, spirits of the elements," Mabel quietly said aloud, "prepare to meet the great and wonderful Mabel Pines."

Her feet were crossed over one another. Her rear sat as comfortable as it could against the dirt and pebbles beneath her. Using her technique she had trained with her master for many days, she cleared her mind, breathing deeply.

The thoughts around her drifted and sorted themselves into the darkness. The worries for the Mystery Manor, fading into nothing. Her fears for Dipper, still standing between the golems and the stone, she let herself know they could handle themselves. The concerns all slowly melted away as she let her being become one with the empty world around her. All that remained was the hard part.

Doing her best to not think about her actions, she pulled out the matches and salt. Tossing the salt into a small pile before her, she then lit the match. She could feel the tiny warmth and flickering light dancing over her face. She wondered if she was spooky looking.

_That was a thought!_ she scolded herself, and cleared her mind again. Gently, she lowered the match to the sprinkling of salts, and heard the small sizzle. It was now or never, assuming she had followed the tasks as she remembered. With a deep breath, she let herself feel as she imagined the earth to feel. Hard, contained, rigid, unmoving. She was eternal and forever stone. Even the weather couldn't change her. Stubborn and slow.

Nothing had happened.

Mabel blinked and tried again. She couldn't let herself become discouraged at the idea of her very first attempt not working. She shifted slightly, lit another match, and began to think on the earth.

Mabel felt as she were earth and support. She allowed herself to believe she could be chiseled into statues and monuments, a testimony against the wear of time. There was that light, deep in her mind, flickering and tempting her. Yet nothing happened- no voices or signs of response.

"Oh fudge," Mabel growled. She released another lit match and tried again.

* * *

><p>"It's been a while," Dipper quietly told the others. It had been more than thirty minutes, and the Golems had patiently stared at the four, expecting a change in company, along with a shimmering, rainbow producing black stone.<p>

"She'll be fine," Wendy quickly replied.

"What if she can't do it?" Dipper continued, not calmed by Wendy's reassurance, "or what if something else found her in the woods?"

"Quiet," Stan hissed at Dipper, "or we won't have the time to worry about Mabel, but our own sorry skins."

"What are you four talking about?" the mossy golem asked after peering at them.

"Ah, just worried about-" Wendy and Dipper quickly shoved their hands over the handy-man's mouth.

"What... we'll have for lunch," Wendy finished for Soos.

"Is that so?" the mossy golem asked, and the three nodded in unison. "Lunch. Such a peculiar mortal habit; to eat." It turned away again, and the two lowered their hands from Soos.

"Aw man, sorry guys," Soos apologized, "I got a little carried away there. You know, seeing golems for the first time, kinda overwhelming."

"You know, maybe all we really need to is hold these chumps here long enough for the paranormal losers to come running back," Stan told them, "if they see four living golem creatures in my front yard, they'll hesitate before crushing my business on the internet."

"If they don't, you know, actually crush the building," Dipper pointed out.

The four golems were exchanging looks between one another. It had been some time since the promised thirty minutes, and they seemed to be aware of the passing time. Patience seemed to be part of their being, with exception to the mossy boulder golem, who was quite agitated with their withholding action. He looked at the four, and in a rumbling growl, stepped forward. Steps crunched the earth flat as he approached, and stopped before them.

"We have waited long enough," he told them, "where is she?"

"She's taking longer than we thought," Stan told him, hiding his worry with his best nonchalance attitude. "Keep your britches on."

"Bridges? Do you mock me?" the golem misheard, angering and pointing towards Stan. The calmly attitude fizzled out at the direct approach of the monstrous magical creature's gesture.

"Okay, just take it easy there, big guy. Maybe the safe is giving her some trouble- its got some complicated passwords on it!" Stan told the golem hastily.

"Yeah! It requires you to solve an equation based on trigonometry!" Dipper lied.

"And a game of hopscotch!" Wendy piped in.

"At the same time!" Soos added.

"Enough!" the golem roared to the four, hair blowing in the gust of hair, forcing Dipper to hold on his hat, "if she cannot retrieve the stone, then I will break the safe open and take back the stone."

"W-wait! That's my home!" Stan shouted as the Golem turned for the building, and he ran to block the path, "you can't just destroy where I live! I keep all my worldy possessions in there- my money!"

"That is unfortunate," the tree elemental added sadly. "We are followers of the earth- we do not wish to destroy."

"See? Smart guy here," Stan nodded to the winding tree creature, "knows what's up."

"You have stolen from us! Our master!" The mossy golem shouted again, "we will not hesitate to destroy that threaten our lives and our secrecy!" The golem lifted its arm, directing it for a sweeping punch at the Mystery Manor.

"No- wait!" Stan begged, but was unheard.

"Golem!" Wendy screamed as loudly as she could, catching everyone's attention. "I challenge you to a duel!"

Her words echoed around. She stood defiantly, glaring at the monstrous golems, who stared at her in uncertainty. Dipper did a double take to her words, his mouth open wide as she started marching closer.

"A... challenge? Duel?" the mossy boulder golem turned from the shack, taking a single step to be directly before Wendy, who also stopped, glaring up at the collection of stones. "What cause would we have to accept your duel?"

"You're not afraid of a small human girl, are you?" Wendy rocked her eyebrows up, daring the stone creature to refuse, "that would make you probably the worst guardians ever. In the history of all things."

"Wendy!" Dipper quietly shouted to her, but she held a hand back behind her, giving him good look in the eyes before turning back.

"HA!" the golem barked a single laugh," Fine. I accept your duel. What are your terms, human?"

"We have a staring contest," Wendy declared proudly, "we have to keep our eyes open as long as we can, and not look away from one another."

"You... you wish to engage in a challenge of this nature?" the golem chortled, amused to an extreme degree, "against me? A boulder? Very well!" The golem extended his finger, and Wendy placed her hand onto the tip, not even able to grasp the width of the rock. "If we win?" he asked.

"You get to bulldoze your way through the building here and get your stupid rock, assuming Mabel hasn't brought it back by then," Wendy told them, "and if we win, you turn your sorry butts away and march back to wherever you came from, and wait until we return that rock to you."

"Acceptable," the mossy golem grinned, "shall we begin?"

"Dipper, give me a countdown," Wendy told her friend.

"Wait, Wendy," Dipper pulled her aside, "you realize that you can't win this, right? He's a rock. He doesn't even have tear ducts to begin with! At least... I don't think he does."

"Dude," Wendy told him, a hand on his shoulder as she gave him a solid reason to feel fluttery in his stomach, "I got this. This isn't about winning: I just got to buy some more time for Mabel, right?" Wendy told him. Dipper's mouth had gone slightly dry, able to feel the breath escape from her words and hit his lips was too intoxicating to maintain a simple thought pattern. Instead, he feebly nodded and stepped aside. "Countdown, buddy."

Dipper nodded and shook the bubbly thoughts in his head, remembering that Wendy was putting her safety at stake. He looked between the two competitors, and said, "Okay. Three, two, one- begin!"

* * *

><p>Mabel threw another match down with an exasperated cry. This was the second to last match she had tried using to commune with the spirits of earth. She was cold now, almost shivering in the slow air current of the tunnel as she desperately tried reaching with these elements. Her mind raced of the things she thought was earth, now just flashing images of rocks and stones and canyons, instead of feeling the intent behind earth. For the eighteenth time, nothing happened.<p>

"C'mon you poop-stick-burning-sucky-thing!" she demanded, the thoughts in her head overwhelming the need for clarity. Mabel was done with the calm approach. She didn't want to be calm. She was angry, frustrated and tired of repeated the process for something that wasn't working anyway.

"UGH!" she finally slid back, tossing the salts in her pockets on the ground along with the unlit match. She was enclosed in darkness as she rested herself backwards. Had she misjudged herself? Maybe her master had just spoken well of her to boost her mood. In reality, was she just a single, lost student trying to bite off more than she could chew?

"No," Mabel told herself and pulled herself upright. "Giving up is for stupids," Mabel told herself as she felt for the matches she had just tossed down, and scooped them into her hands. She felt the single remaining match, and wondered what she could do.

Action was required. But she was dead in the water. No amount of struggle for the spirits of earth had amounted to anything more than a smoldering pile of burnt matches and some singed salt. She lifted the match to where she felt it was before her face and wondered: maybe she was doing this wrong?

Something about the ritual had to be missing. The water she brought with was only a contingency- should the fire burn her or catch fire to something else. Her master had said salts and flame and a strong meditation can bring the spirits to speak to the worthy minded. What else was she missing? Was there a step? Did she have to hold a rock in her hand?

"Bleh," she thought the idea of that working with the other elements. Holding water in your hand was slightly harder, but then there was holding air, holding fire. Impossibilities.

Yet then her mind clicked. Maybe she wasn't talking to the right person.

She felt the cold of the water bottle against her skin, and Mabel quickly removed it from her pocket and tossed it aside. She didn't want any indication to the next element that she had reservations. This one was going to know she meant serious business. Scooping some salt off the ground, she lit the match in her hand, and tossed the salt into the fire.

Mabel did not close her eyes this time though. She stared into the soft orange flame, peering into the core of the fire, thinking of its meaning. Warmth, power, strength to make your own path, uncompromising and unapologetic. This was her element; it spoke to her the strongest in terms of what she remembered from her masters teachings. Between her fingers she held that match, peering into the soul of fire itself.

"Ow!" she gasped, and dropped the match. Her fingertips were slightly singed, but she was okay. The fire was going out on the ground. Mabel closed her eyes in sadness, defeated.

"...lift me back up, child," a voice whispered into her ears.

Mabel gasped, and looked to the fire. It had yet to extinguish. Hesitantly at first, she looked around, and then back to the flame.

"Hello?" she asked the fire.

"Come now, I can't see you. Lift me back up," the tiny voice of the fire asked her.

Mabel gasped. Had it worked? Without hesitation, she reached down with the tips of her fingers and lifted the match to her face.

"Well, well, well," the voice pleasantly stated, slightly louder now that it was closer to Mabel, "I am summoned by a young woman? How marvelous." The voice was crackling and soft, exactly as if a burning logs embers could create words. It was gentle and welcoming to Mabel. "I wish to be larger. If you could please provide me some air?"

"Oh- of course!" Mabel puffed her lips and blew on the match gently. To her amazement the flame grew upwards, not consuming any more of the wood by her fingers. She did so again, and the flame grew more and more, soon easily the same size of her head. then two splotches of white flame appeared on the general blaze before her. Eyes. They were searing eyes.

"You are a twin," the fire spoke, "and your other is a brother. Amazing. I could feel the desperation emanate from you. All you had to do was direct your attention and you would have noticed my presence much earlier."

"You were around here?" Mabel asked in awe, "wow!"

"Spirits of the natural forces arise wherever our binding resides. The instant someone lights a match, a fire over a stove, a log over a campfire, and even a burning home," the flame warned Mabel, "we reside. In your attempt to speak with earths forces, you called to me."

"Wow... that's soo..." Mabel stared into the clearing face of the fire. More features were forming over time. The stead breeze of the tunnel provided fuel. The eyes now had pupils of bright yellow, and a small outline of a mouth was forming.

"But you didn't call to the spirits for a chat, I imagine, young lady," the spirit of fire told her eagerly, "you want something- otherwise your desperation would be shallow, and my flame would have been a blast of warning."

"Yeah! My friends and I are being attacked by golems!" Mabel told the fire. "I wanted to talk to earth to have him hold off these golems until we can give back the stone-"

"The Starkissed?" the spirit gasped, pulling itself away from Mabel. She stared at the flame, uncertain to its reaction.

"What is the Starkissed?" she asked.

"Starkissed... are stones of immense power. They are more rare than all the jewels of the earth combined. To find one of the size you found in their grove," the spirit told Mabel, "is more than a lifetime accomplishment. Stealing one, is a dangerous gambit."

"We didn't know it belonged to anyone!" Mabel pleaded, "we just wanted to show it to someone so they believed us about these woods!"

"I understand, young lady," the fire nodded, "trust is an important thing to have. Yet, I feel I must warn you, the owner of the stone would be less forgiving than the golems who approach you."

"The owner?" Mabel asked, "there's a guy who owns that stone? Wait," Mabel recalled the golems words," but they said they had been guarding it for over six hundred years!"

"Indeed they have," the spirit nodded.

"But you said the owner would be less forgiving, like he's still up 'n kicking. The isn't the owner dead?" Mabel asked after a pause from the fire. The flame shook its head side to side. "Whoa." Someone out there, or something out there, had been alive for six hundred years, and at one point stopped by the lands that would become Gravity Falls. "Who is it?"

"A being of immense power," the spirit began cautiously," a shadowy creature that has surpassed the expectations of mortals. It is one of the few human beings who can directly commune with us. The being I speak of is very angerous."

Mabel gulped. If the golems hadn't liked them stealing the stone, what would this scary, old sounding person respond with? It wasn't a question Mabel intended to find out.

"Can you help me?" Mabel asked the spirit after a moment to think, "I need to have the golems chill just for a little bit."

"They would never listen to my command. Golems serve the earth, and will not reply to the command of the spirits of flame."

"Well," Mabel tried again, "can you do anything? Ask a friend for a favor?" The spirit, now with a full face, sculpted to be neither woman nor man, but beautiful all the same, had a pause. It seemed to be thinking. Mabels eyes shimmered in the flame before her, and the spirit grinned widely.

"Perhaps I can. It will not be instantaneous," the spirit of flame warned her, "but there is one who can assist. I do trust you will return the Starkissed as soon as you are done with it?"

"Of course we will!" Mabel assured it, "we don't even know what to do with the crazy thing-a-majig."

"As you say," the spirit agreed, "I will send help. I cannot guarantee that it will stop them from their assault, but slow down? I most certainly think so."

"Oh, thank you!" Mabel wanted to kiss the face, but the heat reminded her of the very real danger the spirit possessed. "Thank you so much!"

"Of course, young lady. Now, as a reminder, you probably haven't noticed that your hands are on fire," the spirit looked down to her hands, holding the match. In the growth of the spirit of flame, Mabel didn't notice it's spread up her fingers. Indeed, she didn't seem burnt, and didn't feel it either. "As soon as the match leaves your fingers, I will no longer have the ability to keep your skin safe."

"Wait... so I'm going to be all burned up!?" Mabel shouted as she stared at her flickering hands through the fire.

"It is the danger of being one of flame," The spirit told her sadly, "one who is adequately prepared for face flame would never have held me so close. I am a dangerous being, after all."

"Oh... oh crud," Mabel swallowed loudly, prepared with the very real possibility for her hands to be singed after this conversation was done, "okay... I'm ready."

"A word of advice, Mabel Pines," the spirit told her, "those with the heart of fire must be prepared to be tempered by the same fire we wish to unleash. Our curse is our strength- to burn. Have some water nearby next time, why don't you?" the fire suggested cleverly. "Time for me to go now, or I'll be too large for you to put out naturally."

"Okay," Mabel nodded, "thanks again... bye- OWW!" Mabel screamed as she threw the match to the ground and tucked her hands under her arms. She felt the incredible burn of the fire wash away, leaving an icy cold residual pain along her fingers. The light was gone, and Mabel stumbled over to the water bottle. Her fingers raw, she struggled to open the bottle in the darkness, but finally managed. "Futter nutter butter crudder!" Mabel shouted as she poured water onto her burnt hands.

With a pained gasp, she stood up, trying her best to cradle her fingers together as she collected the plastic water bottle into her pocket. Mabel took her firsts step towards the exit, desperate for some anti-burn. The pain was severe, but at least worth it.

Help was on the way, as promised by fire itself.

* * *

><p>"This is going to be a new world record!" Soos told Stan.<p>

"Man! An employee I can finally advertise free of any guilt!? This is great!" Stan agreed, putting an arm around Soos.

"Wendy, tell me you can still see," Dipper asked the red head.

"Yup. Still see a big, mossy rock face," Wendy nodded gently, glaring at the face of the mossy boulder.

It had been over fifty minutes since the begin of the staring contest. Wendy's eyes had, shockingly enough, never watered, blinked, even gotten puffy or red in the near hour that had passed. Mabel had yet to show, but Wendy was showing no signs of slowing down. Dipper was a sucker for records like this, and he wasn't sure how long Wendy could go for. The human body had limits, and she had broken the last record almost ten minutes ago.

"Any pain?" Dipper asked her gently.

"Rather not talk about that," Wendy reminded him with a forced smile. Dipper inwardly throttled himself for being stupid enough to ask it, and nodded in apology. He wanted so badly to get her something, to hydrate her probably cracked eyes.

"This must be some sort of trickery," the golem growled, "humans have watery eyes! How can yours not have gone bad by now?"

"Maybe I just have some crazy pain tolerance," Wendy told the golem with a clever grin. "Dipper," Wendy quietly told the younger teenager next to her, "maybe its about time you and Soos went after Mabel?"

"And leave you behind?" Dipper replied fearfully.

"Man, I can handle myself. I was thrown out a window by a shapeshifter without a scratch. I'm good, okay?" Wendy resisted the urge to wink at Dipper, instead smiling sincerely to the teen. Dipper resolved his worry slightly and nodded.

"Okay, we'll be right-" Dipper stopped. There was sound coming up the driveway. He slowly turned, his eyes wide as a banged up van rolled towards the Mystery Manor. Dipper's heart slowed. If these guys saw the golems, maybe they wouldn't have to keep the Starkissed anymore.

The doors of the van opened, and out stepped the five men. Geoffrey was first to emerged, from his usual driver seat. The four others followed, two of them removing their glasses to stare at the golems, who all stared back.

"Wow. He wasn't kidding," Marcus said as they approached, "no stops. Look at these animatronics!"

"Anima-" Stan barked at the men as they shook their heads, approaching the golems. "These are animatronics you idiots!"

"Right. We gave you a chance to come up with something truly paranormal, and the best you get," Geoffrey announced, "is a squad of giant robots. Hey, at least it won't be a zero. It's a mystery to how you guys got these lying around without anyone noticing."

"Mister Pines isn't lying!" Soos called, on the verge of anger, "how could he lie about these golems!"

"Golems, huh?" Geoffrey snorted as he walked up to Wendy and the face of the mossy golem, who refused to look away.

"Get your human friends away," the mossy golem growled at Wendy.

"They're not our friends," Wendy told him back.

"What're you two doing?" Adam asked, scratching his brow, "having a staring contest?"

"Yes. Stop interrupting," Wendy and the golem told them dangerously. Geoffrey laughed loudly, and stepped up to them, taking his hands out of his pockets. As he did, Ben lifted his device, and scanned the being.

"Holy crud! Geof-" Ben started, but called too late.

"How does this thing turn off then?" Geoffrey stepped in between the two, and quickly grabbed the face of the golem. Wendy refused to break eye contact, and moved aside. The golem was less adaptive to the interruption, and roared, standing upright fully, tossing back the aggressor who had grasped his face.

"How dare you interfere with the noble duel of the staring contest!?" The mossy golem shouted at the trench coat wearing man, struggling to gain his footing again. "This," the golem turned to Wendy," was part of an elaborate scheme, wasn't it? You engaged me on a long winded duel to wait for reinforcements, to steal away the Starkissed!"

"Dude, these guys are idiots, we didn't plan anything with them," Wendy defended herself, "and I never blinked, once!"

"ENOUGH!" the boulder shook the ground with its bellows, birds in distant forest regions taking to the sky. "You will not walk away free this day, thieves!" The golem made to smash at Wendy, who dived aside.

"Holy tamales!" Stan shouted as he ran aside with Soos, the people around the mossy golem scattering. "RUN FOR IT, YOU IDIOTS!" Stan shouted at the N.P.P.P, who were avidly watching the four golems march for them.

"No way," Marcus stammered as the shadows of four earthly beings stomped closer, "this isn't like ghost level of activity."

"This is a class four monster!" Ben shouted, being the first to turn away and run into the van, "the EMF detector is going nuts!" The four other men followed suit, stumbling with their jackets as they clawed their way into the vans.

"We don't have it! They do!" Stan pointed to the van as two of the golems rounded on him and Soos. The Golems looked towards the van, and growled.

"Technology that pollutes? Destroy it!" The tree golem shouted. As the last door of the van closed, the mossy golem obliged, kicking the sides with his huge boulder feet. The van was lifted up, rolling wildly to the side as it hurtled away, crashing and spinning over and over itself, flattening the radio dish on the rooftop. Windows shattered and the sides bent as it the van rolled to an upright position.

""WE DON'T HAVE ANYTHING!" the five inside the van desperately called trying to crawl their way out of the windows, cut and bruised everywhere.

"I want to go back to the asylum!" Geoffrey whined as he ran behind the trees and cowered there with the others. "Ghosts are easier to deal with than this!"

"You lied to us!?" The mud golem turned with the other four to the employee, employer and resident of the Mystery Manor. "Lairs and thieves?"

"Yeesh, you try to make a living these days and suddenly everyone's a critic," Stan said as he and the three others backed up against the building.

"Aw crud," Soos moaned as they backed up against a wall, powerless to battle against these titans of the earth.

"We'll go get you the stone!" Dipper called, "just let us go inside! I'll go get it now-" Dipper had started to step towards the door, but a huge fist slammed into the ground in front of him, and he halted his movement, "not moving an inch."

"We let one of your human friends inside already," the vine golem said, "and she has yet to return. Should we let another one go inside? Perhaps to take away or hide the stone!?"

"No! He can go inside and get it for you!" Wendy shouted, "just give him a chance!"

"NO MORE CHANCES!" The mossy golem shouted, and raised its fist. The eyes on the golem then shifted. He was looking into the sky, far above the Mystery Manor. "Ah... ah... Impossible!"

"What's he looking at?" Stan asked," is he looking at my wind gauge?"

There was a screech, shrill and vibrant enough for all the humans of the area to clasp their hands to their heads. Something was glowing, bright and powerfully. The mossy golem had barely any time to react. A huge burning object slammed into the fist, tossing back the heft creature with a resounding bang. The other golems gasped and took steps back, shielding their eyes from the beast flying in mid-air, its huge, burning wings gusting hot air around the Manor.

"Is... is that," Wendy gasped, stepping forward.

"A phoenix!?" the N.P.P.P by the trees gasped unanimously.

The huge bird was the size of the mossy golem. Golden feathers lined its belly, and bright crimson feathers cascaded along its side and top. It appeared in similar fashion to the thunderbird portion of the plastic totem pole Stan had standing next to the Mystery Manor.

"What the heck is going on?" Dipper asked in awe.

"Reinforcements," a voice stated as Mabel stepped out of the Mystery Manor. She held in her hands, which dipper quickly noticed were singed, the stone.

"Mabel!" he shouted, and ran to her quickly, forgetting the spectacle that was the bird of fire. "Your hands- did that-" he motioned to the phoenix.

"Nah, that was my fault," Mabel grimaced at the pain shooting through her hands, "gimme a sec bro. Got to fix this, don't I?" she told him as she stepped to the recovering Golem, "HEY! Big guy!" she told him, "you want it badly enough to break stuff? Here!" she held it above her head.

"Where did you... get that?" the tree golem demanded, pointing to the phoenix fearfully.

"I asked for a favor," Mabel tried her best to sound easy, but the pain of her burns causing her to wince.

"I only know of one who can summon a phoenix to a location," the vine golem said to the others. There was a shift in mood among these guardians, and they looked to Mabel in awe.

The mossy golem glanced between her and the large burning bird as it dropped next to Mabel, tall enough to look the being of earth dead in the eyes. It screeched at him, daring the rocky collection to approach. Some of the moss had been singed, and it was with a pause that the giant creature strode forward, and lowered a hand down to Mabel. She dropped the stone inside its hand and stepped back, clutching her injured hands.

"Lets not have this happen again," the golem warned them as he turned, "and make sure you are thankful for your gift. _He_ does not often place favor on anyone, let alone favor enough to send a sun bird to help."

"Yeah, don't worry," Mabel nodded, "next time we'll ask nicely if we need to visit you and your sparkly grove of jewels."

The four golems looked to her and the remaining humans, and slowly turned and started heading off towards the forest they came from, their resounding steps shaking the ground like miniature earthquakes.

"Owwww," Mabel finally gave into the pain, and held her hands before her eyes, the swelling red skin resolute and entirely covering her fingers.

"Oh my god! Mabel!" Dipper ran to her, sliding to his knees as she fell to her own.

"It's okay. Maybe a little bit of anti-burn and ice will do the trick?" she asked hopefully to her brother.

His response was less hopeful. Those weren't standard burns, but possibly hospital attendance required burns. His didn't know what to say. Dipper begged instead to take the burn instead, anything to take the anguish out of Mabel's eyes.

There was a loud screech again, and Dipper stumbled away, turning. The massive phoenix, majestically shaped like an eagle the size of car, stepped closer to Mabel, checking her with one side of its face, using an eye to stare at her.

"Oh, thanks buddy," Mabel told the bird, "and tell thanks to whoever sent you. They're awesome."

The bird blinked, and then poked at Mabel with its beak. Before she could stop herself, Mabel placed her hands on the side of the bird, in attempt to hold it back from further pushing her down. Her hand hit more flames.

"Mabel!" Dipper gasped, and ran over, ready to face further injury. The phoenix pulled its head away, and turned, leaving a shocked Mabel sitting on her knees. Dipper gasped as his eyes found their marks. The burns had vanished. "What the... your hands!?"

"Can phoenix heal people?" Mabel asked Dipper as she started to stand, waving her hands around through the air, uncertain if they truly were healed, or she was undergoing some hallucination.

"Mythologicaly speaking," Ben piped up from the trees, "Phoenix tears, ash, feathers, and even claws were considered to be tools for rebirth and had amazing healing prop-" Ben stifled his words as the phoenix screeched at him, causing him to yelp and hide behind another, further into the forest tree.

"Thanks buddy," Mabel said again to the bird. It gave her a single glance and small chirp in response. Gusts of hot air were blasted around as the huge beast flashed its wings and took to the sky, screeching into the distance as it left a trail of embers and fire.

"It can cause re-birth?" Wendy stammered as she watched the bird fly away.

"Man! That's something I should have known," Stan snapped his fingers as he too saw the huge creature soar over the mountains, "could have kept a few for myself, you know?"

"Grunkle Stan, you aren't close to dying," Mabel turned to her grand uncle.

"Ha! Says the person who came up to town to see me because they thought I died!" Grunkle Stan barked. He had little time to chastise her more, as she ran to give him a quick hug. "Gah! Okay, okay, you win this point. Fine." Stan chuckled as the five of them realized they had scraped by again without a permanent injury. Then his eyes focused on the trembling crew in the woods.

"What about them?" Wendy asked. "They kind of witnessed everything, like they wanted to."

"Yeap. One second," Stan started to march over, taking his sweet time to bask in the glory that was his critics cowering from a sight that only left him 'mostly breathless'. "Hey, you chumps," he called to them shaking them from their stammering, "so, the rating?"

"W-w-what?" Geoffrey managed to reply dimly, his eyes still scanning the skies, "but what if another one comes down!?"

"Trust me fellas, if you're worried something is going to jump out of the skies and eat you, you really don't want to stick around, "Grunkle Stan told them, "we've had to deal with pterodactyls before, so this is-"

"What!?" the five shouted in shock.

"Yeah, they were stuck in sap until the summer heat melted it away. Luck for the dinosaur, almost bad luck for a pig. Anyway," Stan leaned on the tree, staring at the five men who still cowered in the shadows," you guys might want to come out of the woods. Just as many crazy stuff can eat you from there."

The N.P.P.P. leapt out from the trees and into the middle of the entranceway, looking around for signs of predatory activity. Their world, it seemed, had been shaken, shattered, and smashed over their heads.

"So, the rating?" Stan asked them, stepping forward with his usual confident strides.

"T-t-t-ten out of ten," Geoffrey managed to speak before turning and walking quickly towards the busted van, "t-t-time to go."

"Awww, you sure you fellas don't want a tour? I'm sure if you just go back down to the Diner we can find an undead army somewhere around here to show off!" Grunkle Stan advertised to the five, who seemed as if they were done with their careers as paranormal investigators. They climbed into the van, which spluttered back to life, and it pathetically bumbled away, unsteady and in dire need of repairs as it raced down the drive way. "Ah, the feeling of using terror and fearing for ones life as a means for advertising," Stan sighed and breathed the still warm air around him.

"Good thing Mabel was able to speak to the spirits of the earth," Soos mentioned.

"Wasn't the spirits of the earth," Mabel informed the others, "I couldn't get through to the guy, so I spoke to someone else- fire."

"That's why your hands were burned," Dipper guessed.

"Yeah, kind of didn't expect to have that happen," Mabel admitted, "doofus Mabel moment."

"Well, at least everything is nice and calm now. Thank goodness for the intervention of mythological creatures at a convenient time to save the day," Stan said as the five grouped around, watching the disappearing van leave a smoke trail. "All is good..." Stan sniffed the air. "Do you smell something burning?"

Stan and the crew turned to look at the building. The roof had caught fire.

"HOLY SMOKES!" Stan shouted as the small fire slowly spread from the top to the tiles around it. "SOOS, PUT IT OUT!"

"I'm on it, mister pines!" Soos shouted as he ran over to the hose and grabbed a ladder.

"DAMN PHOENIX!" Stan roared into the sky, "I'll pluck you alive and sell your parts for profit if you ever come back here again!" He ran off to help Soos, who had caught the end of the hose on the ladder, which was teetering back and forth, entirely unstable.

"Well, we did it. We saved the Mystery Manor," Mabel said, wrapping her arms around Wendy and Dipper as the fire spread over the roof, "mostly saved."

* * *

><p>Classic rock. A great genre of music, a fun way to poke fun at a witty sentient stone, and a well polished hunk of Marble.<p>

This wont be the last time you all see the Starkissed. Or the phoenix. Or the N.P.P.P. Or Wendy! Thank god for Wendy; what would we do without her?

Wendy: (poking her head through the door) I dunno dude. Just be chill.

Thanks Wendy, you da man. (she leaves after giving a contemplative nod to EZB) So, I hope you all enjoyed the chapter! It's been a fun/busy week here during Turkey week, location EZB-land, but we're all still managing to provide as much content as humanly possible, or otherwise. Yahoo!

If you've been enjoying the fun thus far, remember to check TheEquestrianIdiot2.0 for various other doodads and fun things, including things that are TOTALLY HORRIFICALLY AWESOME. Or hell, our Adaption of Gravity Falls into Aliens. Chestburster, anyone? (EZB looks at his chest expectantly) huh. Nothing. Kind of odd for nothing to happen. (Mjolnir, The Hammer of Thunder, crashes down on EZB, pinning him to the ground) OOWWWWWUUGGGHHH... wasn't this in my Hellsing story? Why are you here, mighty hammer?

Wendy: (steps back in) Oh. I got you bro. (she lifts the hammer easily and marches out the weapon resting on her shoulders. EZB stares.)

Holy crap. (the roof caves in onto the stunned writer, burying him alive.)


	14. Birds of a Feather: Part 1

The Gravity Falls Mystery Manor side door opened briskly. Just prior to noon, two teenagers lead themselves out of the building, a determined look in their eyes. On tucked his hat around his head roughly, theories and formulas rushing through the brain of Dipper Pines as he walked to his car. The other was busy sticking a final sticker to her cheek to accompany the other; Mabel pines finally slipped on the two camouflage stripes on her cheeks, and huffed out aggressively, punching at her stomach, where a kitten with a combat helmet was displayed on her sweater. She was ready for war.

Since the previous day's happenings, where Grunkle Stan had to convince the work crew of Weytani-Yuland that their equipment caused the damages to his roof, and therefore would be paid by the company, the twins had been set back yet another day of research. Clues from the missing data, along with Grunkle Stan's suggestions, told them that there was a place to find the secrets- the Town Hall.

"This will suck if it was just one huge typo," Mabel stated as they passed the grumpy crew, no longer pleasant towards the twins or anyone else who resided at this building.

"Don't say that," Dipper begged, tightening his shoulders instantly, "that would mean we're down to nothing. Just an extra stick-battery thing and a million questions."

"Bro, don't worry," Mabel patted his shoulder, "with me at your side, in total surrrrious mode," Mabel glared ahead like a preying falcon, "we'll crack down on this case and before we know it- BAM! Solved!"

Dipper fought to restrain a smile for his sister, but lost the fight. Even if she constantly was distracted from the investigatory work, she tried her best. Her unending support was also a nice boost of confidence. The twins after all, only had three more days up here before they turned around and went home.

Just the thought of leaving something as possibly big a mystery as this one infuriated Dipper.

"Hop in," Dipper told her as he unlocked his car.

"Awww, just for once, can't we get on my bike?" Mabel flopped her arms limply by her side, "your car reeks of stale boredom."

"That's pine-fresh, actually," Dipper retorted, leaning on his door, "and every time I've gotten on your bike so far, you've tried your best to either throw us into a ditch or freak me out!"

"Hehehe, I usually get the second one."

"Mabel," Dipper barked at her as she laughed, "get in sis. We got work to do?"

"Aww, fine. But if we need to go into town again later, we take the bike?" she asked as she strode around to the other side.

"Fine, sure, okay," Dipper agreed half heartedly as he landed on the seat and closed the door. Mabel cheered and entered the passenger side, grinning with her excitement. Any chance to scare Dipper the know-it-all was more than worth it.

"Onward, my valet!" Mabel demanded, pointing forward to the dashboard.

"I'm not your- that joke doesn't even make se-"

"ONWARD!"

Dipper sighed and put the gear into place, having the car start slowly backwards as he turned around to leave the driveway. A steady turn and another gear shift had his black vehicle forward.

"You meant escort, by the way," Dipper told his sister as they left sight of the Mystery Manor.

"I meant what I said," Mabel stuck her tongue out at him.

"Valets don't-"

BOOM.

Dipper and Mabel both shouted. The young teen slammed the breaks hard as the car instantly halted.

"What the heck was that!?" Dipper demanded to his sister. "Was that a gunshot?"

BOOM.

The brother yelped, desperately looking around. The car itself had shaken with the blasting echoes. Mabel turned to her side window as Dipper jumped again, gasping and scanning for the source of the violent episode. Outside, in the woods, there was movement heading straight towards them.

"Dipper-"

Dipper had only a moment to turn and open his mouth, ready to ask 'what'. As he and Mabel stared towards the rushing shadows, they burst out. Two hooded figures, on about their height while the other was the other a good half foot shorter than the twins, ran out and nearly into the car. They gasped, showing their faces for a moment to the twins.

"Who the-" Dipper gasped, as they glanced back behind them, where more movement was heading their way. The two, the girl and the teenager, didn't stick around. As quickly as they came, they ran past the car and over the dirt path to the other side of the woods. The twins watched them run, shocked at how desperate they seemed. After looking to one another, they turned front and saw a large man with a large stomach holding a huge shotgun up.

BOOM.

"Gah!" Dipper shouted, leaning away from the man, who had just aimed his large weapon after the fleeing pair. The man in front of their car, who had just blown away a substantial chunk of the trees to the side of the road, seemed to be muttering to himself and aiming again. He wore a beaten and worn hunters camouflage jacket, along with several layers of gillie material, wrapped around his arms and legs. He had graying frizzy hair, and looked dirty as he was unshaven.

Just as the two watched, he indeed fired again, rocking the air with his huge double-barreled shotgun. As the two winced from the sonic blast that reverberated the windows of the car, the man swore loudly and charged ahead. He began to run into the woods, leaving the twins shocked and out of breath.

"... okay," Mabel put a hand on her brother's shoulder, "I know we wanted to figure our stuff out... but we can't let that just slip by."

Dipper groaned, but nodded, "Agreed! Lets go!"

"Don't have to tell me twice," Mabel stared to undo her seat belt, but Dipper was still moving his car, pulling it to the side of the road. Once he had parked, Mabel shoved the door open and leapt outside, Dipper following closely behind. The two gave each other one more look as they crossed the road, and then ran into the woods.

They were already darting past thick trunks and green bushes as they ran after the three strangers. Wind whipped by their ears, warning them of their speeds, sprinting as best they could. It wouldn't be a hard chase for the twins. All they had to do was follow the deadly sounds of an exploding boomstick.

"Plan?" Dipper asked Mabel as they hurtled over a falling Log, Mabel actually flipping over the tree, to which Dipper gasped, "show off."

"I think we should have them stop shooting at each other first," Mabel tried, looking to Dipper quickly and then forward to avoid hitting any trees, "maybe it's all a big misunderstanding."

"Looked like a crazy redneck hunter," Dipper added, his stamina running low- all the running and fitness he had been doing with his sister had increased his tolerance to such activities, but certainly he was no where close to on par with her.

"So? We just have to have a crazy redneck reason for him to stop," Mabel suggested, "speak his language!"

"M-mabel," Dipper gasped, "I don't think thats-"

Dipper was slammed into the dirt by Mabel. Not a second too late, as a huge blast of sound and splintering wood exploded next to where they had just been.

"I don't know who you think you are," a voice called to them, "but you need to stay away! They're mine!" Mabel, who was quick to get back to her knees as Dipper struggled to roll back onto his elbows, was able to peek around the tree she dived behind. There he was: the hunter holding the smoking end of the gun and turning away and running into the brush.

"Almost shot us!" Dipper said, color in his face paler.

"He really knows how to be crazy," Mabel nodded, slowly standing up.

"A crazy jerk-wad," Dipper growled as he stood, wiping away the remains of dirt and leaves from his arm. "He said they're mine? Is he hunting them!?"

Mabel was already back on her feet. Dipper was right- this guy had acted like he wasn't just shooting at them because of a misunderstanding of some sort. He was chasing them to kill them.

"Let's hurry!" Mabel grabbed Dipper's arm and pulled him back up. Before he could get proper footing, she turned and starting running after the guy. Dipper stumbled, but following, his pace slower. The brunette girl was darting ahead, blazing a trail through the woods as quickly and quietly as she could. This guy was aggressive enough to shoot at them for following, she wasn't sure how he would react to them approaching a second time.

Breaking into a mild clearing, she found him pointing his gun above, angling towards higher branches, where the two hooded figures clawed their way higher and away, trying to mask themselves with the branches. The hunter fired again, chipping away more of the tree. A scream above told Mabel somewhere up there was a girl younger then even her.

So much for any diplomacy.

Mabel ran, her learned martial mind preparing for combat. The man was mid-heavy, his belly being larger than his shoulders. If she could make him bend over, he would be easy to topple. Her footsteps finally caught the man's attention. He gasped, spun around, and fired towards Mabel had just been. She dived aside.

Spotting a rock next to her hand, she grasped it and tossed it right for the man's fingers in the trigger. He yelped, the stone making full contact against his hands digits. He cradled the hand for a moment, long enough for Mabel to run at him again. Remove the gun, remove the threat.

She reached forward the business end of the gun and leapt up. Skill and training had her ready to push herself onto his shoulders, landing her feet next to his head and leap backwards, tossing her away and him onto his back. His grip on his gun was stronger than expected though: she had to quickly adjust and place her feet onto his chest, and yank as hard as she could. The man had an iron grip.

"I warned you!" the man cried, and spun around, throwing her off him with his spin. As she landed on her feet, he unloaded the empty shells, and almost instantly had two more inside the barrel. This was it- his gun was loaded.

Mabel heard him coming. Dipper was right behind the hunter, barreling with his greatest speed he could manage. The hunter heard as well, and started to spin. Call it magic of the connection twins had, but Mabel knew precisely what they were about to do before it manifested.

Dipper leapt, actually jumped in mid air, and planted both feet onto the chest of the hunter as hard as he could. The impact was not a soft one, and the hunter cried out and stumbled back and into Mabel. She grabbed the gun, tossed it away. In that same movement, she twisted herself backwards with the man in a neck-lock, and threw up backwards, slamming him head-first into the dirt. The man's body stiffed up, and then let loose, falling to the side.

"No one..." Dipper breathed heavily as he growled at the unconscious man, "points a gun at... my sister. Ever."

"Dipper!" Mabel cheered, and lunged at him, hugging him tightly, "that was an amazing kick!"

"Gah! Mabel!" Dipper cried, still trying to catch his breath.

"That was a freaking great leap! Wow! You have been learning! I... oh man, you almost leveled him with that!" Mabel giddily told him as she let go of her domineering hug.

"You... really think so?" Dipper smiled a little, and then nodded, "yeah, it was pretty cool, wasn't it?"

"Try _way_ pretty cool!" Mabel punched her brother's shoulders, and he winced.

"Thanks, Mabel. Just... you know, had to-" Dipper gasped, and realized there was whispering above them in the trees. "Right... those two," Dipper nodded above him with a curt jolt of his head.

"I got this," Mabel told him with a nudge of her shoulder, and turned to the tree, "GREETINGS, EARTHLINGS! I AM MABEL THE MAGNIFICANT! APPROACH US WITH HONOR AND-" Dipper slapped the back of her head," Ow! Hey! I wasn't done!"

"What my sister would like to say," Dipper called up into the tree, "is that we're not going to hurt you. We want to make sure you're okay. Can you hear us?" Silence followed their words. Dipper almost thought that they had left the tree during the fight.

"It's okay if you really don't want to come down," Dipper continued, "I know I wouldn't if some crazy dude had been chasing me through the woods... shooting at me... and some kids show up out of the blue. I'd be paranoid too."

"Are you trying to give them reasons to think we're monsters?" Mabel told her brother, who shrugged.

"Being honest?" Dipper turned back to the tree, "Can you at least tell us if you need help? We won't climb up or anything. Just want to make sure you're okay."

Nothing. Not a shake of leaves, or a whisper. They must have left.

"Well... I guess that's that," Dipper shrugged and turned away.

"Whaaat?" Mabel ran ahead, holding him back with a hand, "but we saved their lives or whatever. We should at least see if they're okay!"

"We didn't save their lives... well, okay," Dipper relented at the glare his sister gave him, "we really did help them, but they didn't ask for it. They ran by, when they could have asked for help. We should let them be if they don't want company."

"But... we're good people," Mabel pouted. Dipper chuckled and nodded.

"Let's go Mabel. We have our own-"

A soft thump sounded behind Dipper, and he turned and stepped side, letting Mabel see as well. One of the figures had landed there, possibly from high above, kneeling before them. Slowly it stood up, and the two saw the face of a younger girl. She had a bang of corn-silk blond hair protruding out from her hoodie, and was trying to put a smile on her face. The girl's eyes flickered between the two teens before her. Uncertainty, a little fear, and a tad bit of worry shimmered in her gaze.

Dipper opened his mouth to say hello, and then the second figure landed. Much quicker to rise than the girl, the person was a man, just slightly taller than Dipper. He had slight facial hair, and seemed to be sweating slightly. The two both had bright blue eyes and the brother had a beautiful face, sharp and wonderfully even. It was enough for Mabel to put her hands to her cheeks and stare.

"Hello," Dipper said calmly, "I'm Dipper. This is-"

Mabel shoved past him, knocking him aside to be in front of the beautiful figure, "MABEL! I'm Mabel! Nice to meet the two of you!" she grabbed the stunned man before her by the hand and shook vigorously. Quickly he winced and pulled his hand away.

"Ouch! Ah, Thanks," the man replied, a silky voice matching the face, causing even more wonder to flood Mabels eyes, "nice to meet you."

"You have the voice of angels," Mabel muttered as she listened to him. Despite being clearly in pain, the boy laughed. "Tell me you can sing."

"Thanks. I'm Jace," he motioned to himself with his injured hand, "and yes, I can sing. This is Jessandra, my younger sister."

"Hi!" Mabel waved to the girl behind him, who had taken a quick step next to her brother. Dipper walked back over, brushing off more leaves that had clung to him when his sister had shoved him over. He returned the favor by pushing her head aside, which she groaned a "whamp" as she was shoved.

"Hey Jessandra," Dipper waved a hand to her. The girl in the hoodie seemed stunned. Dipper waited for a reply from the small girl for a moment, but she just stared into his eyes. "Okay. So, Jace, your arm looks kind of messed up."

"Huh?" Jace blurted out, and looked to his hand, "yeah. It got caught between two branches when we were running. Twisted my elbow kinda badly."

"Oh! Sorry!" Mabel cried out, clenching her teeth in worry she had broken a chance of friendship with her aggressive hellos. "Are you okay?"

"Of course I am," Jace grinned and waved a hand at her, " Takes more than a little tree to stop Sir Jace the just. I've taken worse punishment than that before!"

"No you haven't," Jessandra finally piped up, looking at her brother disbelievingly.

"Yes I have," Jace nodded to Dipper and Mabel," of course I have" Jace turned to his sister, keeping the warm smile on his face, even though he looked to his sister with cold eyes.

"I had to jump into the tree to pry you off because you didn't know what to do, and you thought you broke it. Crying to be abandoned and have me run off-"

"Well, I don't _usually_ hurt myself," Jace argued, looking back to Dipper and Mabel, "pretty good about avoiding injuries."

"That's because you're afraid to do anything but fl-" Jessandra stated, but her brother smacked the side of her head so quickly it was a blur, "OW! Jerk!"

Dipper was tempted to laugh. What were the odds; these two were actually like him and Mabel. An older brother who was aloof and easy going, and the younger sister who nitpicked and over-thought things. It was weird seeing it like this. He looked to Mabel, who seemed to have the similar thought to her, as they shared a happy grin.

"Uh," Dipper interrupted a quickly developed wrestling match, where Jessandra had somehow managed to get ontop of her brothers back, and was pulling on his head, "so if you need some help with that arm, we can take you back to our place."

"Oh?" Jace stated, lifting his sister onto the ground, who had frozen in place with him to listen to Dipper, "uh, thanks... I guess."

"You guess? Be our guest!" Mabel said the pun with gusto, and Jace snorted and laughed.

"Nice one!" The attractive man patted Mabel's shoulder with his other arm, and she returned the favor and hit his injured one, "Gah!"

"Sorry!"

"I, uh," Jessandra cleared her throat, "that's really nice. Thank you. But we have to get moving," she said, tugging on her brother's sleeve, "thanks so much again."

"Jess," Jace said quietly, and turned away from the twins, pulling his sister and a private meeting facing the tree. In quiet voices they spoke, discussing and debating quietly. Dipper instantly was suspicious. They had been attacked, and then saved by him and Mabel. Why would these two have reason at this point to distrust them? Unless, of course, they were hiding something. Their hoodies were particularly big.

"Mabel," Dipper leant over and quietly said to Mabel, "did anything they did remind you of when the gnomes were acting like 'Norman'?"

"What?" Mabel spluttered, but at Dipper's insistent stare, she thought. "Not really? I'd say they act too graceful to be gnomes."

"Graceful?" Dipper snorted.

"Just look at him," Mabel pointed to Jace, who was just standing up from his talk with his sister. It was like his entire body flowed together, each bone able to act in accordance to their neighboring body parts. Mabel cooed gently, waiting to see the teen's face again. Dipper personally thought he was sort of a 'pretty-boy', but couldn't deny the adjective. He looked back to his sister, and saw a hunger in her eyes.

"Chill," Dipper rolled his eyes, aware of her tendencies with boys, "we just met them."

"Never to early to start a little romance, am I right?" Mabel wiggled her eyebrows with excitement.

"Yeah right," Dipper huffed back, "there totally is such a thing as too early. Just ask twelve year old me."

Mabel stared at him, uncertain to his meaning. Her mind finally put two and two together, and she sighed. A more sad look overcame her expression, and she patted his shoulder.

"You didn't have much of a chance back then, did ya?" Mabel asked. Dipper's chest felt instantly heavier and he slowly looked away, trying to swallow the secret that trembled inside his throat. It was better for the both of them if Mabel wasn't aware of his feelings for Wendy. Damn resurfacing feelings.

"Sorry about that," Jace stated aloud as he finally turned to face the twins, "sibling conference."

"Entirely understandable," Mabel grinned, grabbing Dipper's shoulder with her own for a half hug, "being awesome twins ourselves."

"I thought there was some similarities!" Jace pointed at the two, excited at the information.

"Of course they're-" Jessandra put a hand to her face as Jace grew a smug grin. "You're an idiot, bro," Jessandra told her palm.

"Quiet, heretic," Jace offhandedly said to his sister, "so, we'd love for you to take us somewhere safe."

"Awesome!" Mabel hopped once, and with a quick wink to her brother, stepped to Jace, extended a crooked arm and asked him, "shall I escort you to my car sir, where my valet can drive us to safety?"

Jace spied the arm, and smiled back. "Of course, my lady!" Mabel suppressed a huge fit of giggles as he took her arm into his own, and they linked together, walking past Dipper, who wasn't entirely certain how to take in their forwardness. Jessandra stepped up to him as they watched the duo walk away.

"Ugh. I wouldn't want to do anything like that," Jessandra said with a disgusted tone at her brother. Dipper nodded and gave the younger girl, easily a head and a half shorter than him, a quick glance, "I mean, not unless you do. I mean, you know, not going to say no and be a jerk. Cus, no one likes... a jerk. Yeah."

"Don't worry, you're good," Dipper assured her with a quick pat to her shoulder, and began to walk ahead. A few paces ahead, he realized there was a patter of footsteps next to him. Taking a pause, he turned to see the girl, staring blankly ahead, her cheeks slightly red. "Uh, you okay?"

"Huh? Okay? Me?" Jessandra stumbled over her words, trying to push her hair out of her face, "why wouldn't I be? I'm not looking at you weird! Right? Of course! ...hahaaa..." She lifted her fingers and pointed to Dipper as if her words had been the part of a well thought out joke. Dipper was certain he small the faintest trace of a throaty gulp from underneath her sweater.

"So... you're okay?" Dipper asked again.

"Yeah," she quickly said as she nodded and followed up to him.

"So, what's the story of the hunter looking guy?" Dipper pointed over his shoulder with his thumb, indicating the unconscious hunter. She scoffed, looking ahead.

"He passed by his home, and he thought we were going to steal something of his. Went all crazy, and chased us all the way though this town," Jessandra told him, "like we grabbed money or something."

"Did you?" Dipper asked after a pause, catching up with the laughing pair ahead.

"No!" Jessandra defended herself as she adjusted her hoodie.

"Okay, I believe you," Dipper said, keeping a mental crossed fingers in his head. Certainly he had nothing to prove that they had been thieves, but she and her brother had seemed to try and hide secrets from him and Mabel. At least they didn't want something to be shared. "So, where do you live?"

"Huh?"

"Where in town do you live?" Dipper asked her calmly, "Mabel and I can take you back to your place after we get some ice on your brothers arm. Come to think of it, I don't we've seen you around here."

"I- uh- we... don't live around here," Jessandra said slowly, keeping her eyes on Dipper.

"Really? Oh. There's a town around Gravity Falls you came from? I kind of thought we had miles and miles of wilderness between us and other cities," Dipper thought aloud while looking back to the kid, who glanced away.

"Not... really?" Jessandra tried saying, coming out as a question. "Jace and I are sort of, uh, gypsies."

"...Gypsies," Dipper repeated, looking at her.

"Yeah. Gypsies," Jessandra repeated, her face in a force neutral hold, trying to feign any other emotion boiling under her surface.

Dipper found it odd, but truthfully, it wasn't the weirdest thing he had heard. Coming from this girl, being a gypsy was actually very normal. For a town filled to the brim with goblins and gnomes in the woods, where the dead haunt their business stores, and monsters roam under the surface of the local lake, to run into a pair of nomadic travelers seemed entirely tame. Then again, they were young. She clearly was younger than Dipper and Mabel, and her story was that the two were traveling together. Two pre-adults just walking around America without a backpack? Possibly by foot?

Not exactly a solid story. Dipper nodded as understandingly as he could though, willing to be patient to learn the truth on this one. Besides, he had another mission to get to.

"I guess you two got separated from your family," Dipper said aloud as he spotted the coming dirt road ahead, where his car rested.

"Ah- right, yup," she nodded, tucking her hands behind herself as she strode in pace, "so what about you guys? Just driving along a dirt road in the middle of the woods, or is that what's there to do in this town?"

"Ha," Dipper chuckled at first, "you'd think that at first glance. Gravity Falls is kind of a lame place to be," Dipper told her," but only on the surface. Once you get to know it better, there are a lot more things going on than you can imagine."

"I can imagine. I mean," Jessandra coughed, and her tone changed from understanding to uncertainty, "I don't know. Just a lot of woods. Nothing special about woods. Just... woods."

Suppressing an urge to show her his journal, Dipper stepped out of the woods with her into the dirt street, where Mabel and Jace were looking at the car.

"Man, what old fart left this out in the road?" Mabel asked aloud, looking to Dipper with a grin. "Someone has no sense of style."

"They didn't even get it with bumper stickers," Jace added, "this car needs bumper stickers."

"I love _stickers_," Mabel told Jace, "I even carry a roll of emergency stickers with me at all times, just in case a paper needs some color-love," she whipped out a small roll of colorful, mismatched stickers with too many themes to count," I think some of them were scratch and sniffs too."

"You're so well prepared," Jace complimented her, "you must be a fashion ranger or something."

"Oh, stop it you," Mabel slapped his chest and laughed with him.

"Well, if we're ready to get into my boring car," Dipper said with a sigh, displeased with Mabel getting vindication towards his apparent lack of taste, "we can get you some ice dude."

"You're car is nice," Jessandra protested, to which Dipper smiled and gave her a nod. As the four climbed in, Dipper was certain he saw a small smile and blush on the younger girls face.

The car was spun around, and it quickly made its way back to the Mystery Manor. The elder brother and younger sister gasped and pointed out things on the shop, as taken into the overwhelming appearance the wooden building had on visitors like every other tourist. It was amusing for Dipper and Mabel, as their minds were entirely immune to such devices, and Dipper parked the car aside the building.

"There you are!"

As the four were exiting, Grunkle Stan met them, walking out one of the side doors, grumpily approaching them with his hat removed and only in boxers and a wife-beater shirt. As he adjusted his hat, he then noticed the additional young folk, and halted.

"I never thought I'd have to tell you, but no strays allowed," Stan told Dipper and Mabel.

"They're not strays!" Mabel laughed, "they're wonderful people who we saved from a deranged hunter!"

"I was wondering what all those gunshots in the woods were about," Stan mumbled," fine, great, you two going out of your way again to get between some crazy farce. Neither of you got shot up, right? Good," he nodded to himself after glancing between the twins, "fine, who are they then?"

"This wonderful man is Jace," Mabel pointed to him with bother hands, like she were a game-show award hostess, "and this lovely lady is Jessandra!"

"Hi."

"Hello."

"How's it hanging?" Grunkle Stan asked the two of them, scratching his rear absentmindedly, "so what do they want? I'm not doing tours today. Hurt my back putting out the fire yesterday."

"Soos put out that fire," Dipper pointed out, "you just ran around and panicked while the roof kept blazing-"

"Whatever. My shouting promoted his efforts to get it done faster, and in that process my back started hurting. So stuff it," the old, messy looking man grumbled to Dipper, who rolled his eyes and said nothing, "if they're coming in, no freebies with the merchandise, got it?"

"Uh hu. We're just getting him some ice," Dipper said, "then they can leave if they want to."

"Oh, so soon?" Jace asked as they started to follow Grunkle Stan inside, who unceremoniously closed the door behind him as he walked back inside. "I think Jess and I would love a little look around. It's a really cool looking building."

"Yeah, sure" Jessandra said, "but what happened with that fire?"

"Ah, right," Dipper looked to the ceiling, wondering if there would be any ashes remaining from the burnt wood above, "there was... huh," he looked to his sister as he walked inside with the four, uncertain to his willingness to divulge the part about a Phoenix burning part of the building up, "equipment issues. You saw those guys working on the side of the building? Somehow their stuff burst into sparks and... well, old building made of wood and sparks make a mess when put together."

"It was yesterday?" Jessandra asked suddenly.

"Uh, yeah? Why you ask?" Dipper looked to her, and she shifted her gaze and shrugged while picking a spot on by her eyebrow.

"The kitchen's over here," Mabel pointed to a hallway as Stan headed for the living room, no doubt to continue watching Broker Nova. Dipper stepped aside in the doorway, letting the three file in, Mabel in the lead. "Here, roll up your sleeve so we can get some ice on your arm."

"Oh, no, that's fine, err, I can do it on my own," Jace looked between Dipper and Mabel, smiling brightly.

"Suit yourself, strong man," Mabel winked to the injured teen, and gently tossed him the ice-pack. Rather than rolling his sleeve up, Dipper watched Jace slowly shimmy the ice-pack into the sweater arm, and push it near the injured location.

"You can take your sweater off you know," Dipper stated.

"I'm fine," Jace assured him with a wave of his arm, "where me and sis come from, this is considered wintery weather."

"And where would that be?" Dipper tried. Jace looked to his sister, and Dipper's gazed flickered to follow. There it was again- suspicion growing as they had a silent communication together.

"California," Jace answered.

"Get out!" Mabel gasped, "us too!"

"Really?"

"We just came up here for the summer," Mabel told Jace, "you see, Grunkle Stan, that guy who let us in, we thought he died, but he didn't and now we have this crazy mystery we have to-"

"Mabel," Dipper coughed and interrupted, "can you help me with something in the gift shop?"

"Dude, what?" Mabel chortled, "we were just going to have a chill day-"

"Something important," Dipper looked to her, forcing intent to read across his eyes.

"I... oh. Oh yeah, that one thing! Duh! Pfft," Mabel smacked her head, and stepped past Jace, who leant on the kitchen fridge," just _chill_ here for a sec," she told the teen holding the ice in his sleeve, who smiled back and clearly loved the lame pun, "we'll be back."

The twins stepped into the Gift shop, where the two other occupants and workers of the Mystery Manor stood- Wendy behind the counter, reading quietly into her usual magazines, and Soos, who was busy sweeping to the rocking sensations that the twins could have sworn had a orchestra involved in it.

"So, I'm getting a withholding information vibe from these two," Dipper quietly announced to his Sister.

"Huh?" Wendy lowered a corner from her magazine, "what about us?"

"Not you twos," Mabel assured her, "we found some friends in the woods!"

"Oh. What are they today? Elves? Werewolves?" Wendy asked as she brought the face of the reading material back to her eyes.

Mabel gasped. "Maybe they could be elves!"

"Human; at least they haven't shown any signs of being anything else," Dipper told the redhead, and then turned back to his sister, "they're holding off telling us everything. Like their story about being gypsies? How does that work with two teenagers, let along a teenager and a younger sister?"

"Being a gypsy isn't a job, Dip," Mabel said," it's a lifestyle, duh."

"They didn't have any kind of backpack," Dipper listed off with his finger, "their clothes aren't dirty from traveling, and they act like they have no idea what town they're in. If you were wondering around, you'd probably find out by road signs or whatever as soon as you could."

"Well being chased through the woods would throw you off," Mabel shrugged.

"I'm telling you, they're hiding something," Dipper pushed with vigor, "they said the hunter was just chasing them from his home or whatever- but he said they were his to hunt. Hunt! That's not chase away and make sure they don't come back!"

"Crazy redneck saying crazy redneck things," Mabel laid a hand on his shoulder as Dipper tried to speak again, "look dude, maybe they just have some family stuff they don't want to talk about. Maybe that's okay, you know? We have our own secrets we're not telling them."

"...live and let live?" Dipper suggested. Mabel nodded and Dipper gave in.

"Oh! I know!" Mabel cried out suddenly, and poked her head through the doorway, "hey guys! Jace 'n Jess! Come in here! We want you to meet some cool peeps!"

"Whoa, yelling inside, what's-" Soos turned from his musically tuned sweeping, and saw the twins standing behind him, "oh, sup dudes."

"Hey Soos."

"Soos, Wendy," Mabel announced loudly as two figures walked inside the gift shop, and positively were awed with the amount of merchandise, "meet our new friends from the woods- Jace and Jessandra! We saved them from a crazed hunter guy!"

"Sup," Wendy waved from the counter lazily.

"Yo! Name's Soos," Soos approached them, a hand extended, which Jace took with his uninjured right for a quick shake before the large man did the same with Jessandra, "nice hoodies."

"Thanks," Jace nodded as he adjusted his slightly, "it's useful for long trips."

"I can't believe you guys can wear those outside in the summer," Soos nodded in amazement, "like it was hot yesterday, and it's supposed to get even hotter."

"Well, we're from southern California, so heat doesn't bother us," Jessandra answered quickly.

"Yeah, heat isn't a problem," Jace pursed his lips and glared at his sister suddenly, and then turned to Mabel, "so, how about that tour? We'd love to look around a place that's world famous!"

"Oh no, they saw the signs?" Wendy asked from the counter, "Stan got another two."

"Sure, you guys want to have it now? Or do you need to wash up or anything?" Mabel asked the two.

"Wash up?" Jace repeated, looking to his fingers, which Dipper noted, were very clean.

"Yeah, from the long hiking you two have done," Dipper said forcefully, and Jace blinked, a moment of stress passing his face. He placed a smile long his lips quick enough though, and nodded.

"Sure! A quick change sounds wonderful," Jace said.

"Here, I'll show you up. Dipper can wait down here like a lamer," Mabel poked her tongue at her brother, who glared back.

Mabel was quick to turn away and march towards the stairs. She had an ulterior motive to all of this. The twins room had an older style lock on their door, one that if you found the right angle, could see all the way through. Mabel was a little too excited about this handsome faced man to let pass a chance to allow a single peek through the door. It wasn't as if she was going to burst in and stare him down, just a quick look into what lied under those thick, baggy clothes.

"Up here," Mabel waved them ups the stairs, biting a lip in excitement.

"You okay?" Jess asked her.

"Yup!" Mabel waved their worry off, rubbing her red lip, "just stepped up and spoke at the same time! Pfft, clumsy me."

"I wouldn't say you're clumsy," Jace told her, "you have a strength to your step, like a dancers glide."

"Oh stop it! You sheer scallywag!" Mabel leap the last three steps in her bubbling excitement. She wondered if he noticed it from her training or she had always naturally been gifted at walking like a princess.

"So here's mine and Dipper's room," Mabel held open the door, "and across from it here is the bathroom. You know, you should use our room first, let your sister wash up if she needs to?" Mabel asked Jace, trying to hide her excitement.

"Sounds okay to me. Jess, you want the sink first?" Jace asked his younger sister, who shrugged. "Jeesh, don't be _too_ excited about it. Thank you, my lady Mabel," Jace bowed as he stepped inside and slowly closed the door. Mabel fought the urge to swoon, but a groan and a door slamming behind her shook her from her pink gooey feelings.

Show time.

Mabel rubbed her hands together, and very quietly approached the door lock. A hungry grin grew across her face as she found the light, and started to look in. There he was, looking around the room with interest. His eyes seemed to naturally gravitate towards Mabel's side, looking at her belongings and few posters that remained from their first visit. As he started to lift the sweater gingerly, wincing from the arm, his eyes befell something out of sight on Dipper's side of the room.

Right where the desk was. Mabel gasped as quietly as she could. She and Dipper had completely forgotten to put away the blue batteries. They were out and open to view. What could she do? Those weren't for people to see. Should she run in forgetting something and just take those out of sight?

Then the door opened behind her suddenly. "Where do you keep the so- what are you doing?" Jessandra asked when Mabel was clearly looking into the lock.

Electricity jolted through Mabel and she leapt up from the accusatory tone. She grasped the handle of her door mid-jump, pushing it open and forward to stumble inside and land on her face. Jace yelped and jumped away. Mabel was able to look up from the floor, and then she swore she had hurt herself more than she anticipated.

He was much more colorful than she remembered. Along his arms were streaks of bright neon green, gold, oranges and dark blues in an intricate layered pattern. Mabel tried blinking- maybe the light behind the window was causing a weird effect on his arms. Post blink, it was still there. In fact, it looked clearer.

They were feathers. Feathers all along his arms. Even by his ears and the back of his neck- there were beautiful, shiny feathers all along his body.

"What are you doing!?" Jace demanded, his face flustering as he reached for his dropped hoodie with one arm, and desperately held it on his arms. "Can't I get some pri-"

"Oh... my... god," Mabel slowly stood, "you're-"

"It's just a costume!" Jessandra ran between her brother and Mabel, arms outstretched, "we just wear it because it's part of a family tradition! They aren't actually part of our body!"

"_Our_ body!?" Mabel gasped, looking to Jessandra, who's eyes widened horribly at the realization that she had said that.

"Good going, sis," Jace grumbled.

"You're eagle-people!? That's soo freaking cool!" Mabel ran to close the door behind her, and then turned back after they area was secure. The siblings before her appeared deeply shocked and confused at Mabel's reaction.

"Wait... that's it?" Jace asked, "that's all the reaction you have?"

"Well, no, I'm still way, waaaay excited," Mabel admitted, shaking her hands in the air, "but that makes sense- you're not walking around, you're flying around, aren't you! And when you hurt your arm, you could just fly away from that jerk could you?"

"But... but you're just a normal human," Jessandra stepped up to Mabel, "you should be freaking out that anyone has feathers coming out of their arms."

"Well, dating a merman kind of changes your perspective of 'normal'," Mabel told them slyly, and they both had their mouth fall open.

"You know of people like us?" Jessandra asked.

"You're dating?" Jace asked, seemingly crestfallen.

"Of course! And no, Mermando and I broke up a long time ago. Being a prince of his kingdom kind of put him into an arranged marriage. But yeah! Dipper and I have met tons of people like you before! So," Mabel stepped up to the two of them, "what do you call yourselves?"

"We're harpies," Jace told her slowly, "bird people."

"You have literally the prettiest arrangement of feathers I have seen on anything," Mabel told Jace as she walked over to his uninjured arm, and stroked his feathers. Jace gasped and stepped aside.

"Y-y-you don't have to do that," Jace said with a blush.

"Did I hurt you?" Mabel asked, worried she may have pulled one out, "gosh dang it-"

"No, that just, uh," Jace looked away, very red in the face, "it felt nice."

"Oh! I, uh," Mabel put a hand to her mouth, "sorry! I think? Yeah, sorry-"

"What are those?" Jessandra's voice barely registered for Mabel, but it was enough to glance towards the girl. She was pointing towards the desk.

"Shoot!" Mabel growled and stomped over to the desk, picking up the three sticks, and shoving them into a drawer quickly, ignoring the desire to run around making 'vroomy' sounds. As their faint light vanished, she spun around and grinned, "just a little project me and Dipper were working on. Nothing weird or unusual, I promise you that!"

"Uh huh," Jessandra nodded, entirely unconvinced with Mabel's assurance.

"Oh man, you guys," Mabel stepped forward, "Dipper and the others will freak OUT when they hear you're actually harp-"

"No!" the two shouted.

"But Dipper and I are all about this sort of thing," Mabel told them, "he's usually the one who starts looking for people like you- just to meet with them and see what they're like."

"We can't have people know there are harpies in this town," Jace said, adopting a new tone; one of formality and authority, "if they did, more hunters would arrive to find us."

"So he wasn't just chasing you two away," Mabel nodded slowly, stroking her chin in thought. Dipper had been right after all.

"He- uh- wanted our feathers," Jessandra quickly piped up, "we're not exactly your normal bird species, so a collector would pay a high price for these," she raised her sleeves, and bright brown and golden feathers extended from her arms.

"Wow," Mabel gasped as she saw Jessandra's arms as well, "but really guys, Dipper would love to know-"

"Tell us what those three glowing things were," Jessandra offered suddenly, "and we'll let you tell him our secret."

Tempting offer, Mabel thought. After all, a little information exchange couldn't hurt? Show me yours and I'll show you mine? Then again, Dipper may be excited to find out about harpies, but he would be upset about having his secrets with Mabel betrayed without his consent. That, and if Grunkle Stan found out they included anyone else after he told them not to, especially after that fiasco with Tambry and McGucket, he'd be furious with the twins.

"Fine," Mabel sighed, "your secret is safe with me."

"Thank you, Mabel," Jace stepped forward, sincerity in his eye," I'm glad we can trust you." Mabel grinned and felt her stomach roil with excitement.

"Trust, right," Jessandra prodded her brother's back, "because she totally wasn't peeking into the lock earlier."

"Oh look at the time," Mabel spun around really quickly, "I need to be downstairs, waiting for you two to finish up! Hahaa!" she opened the door, and turned back in, "remember, secret safe!" she winked over-dramatically and closed the door behind her. Rumbling down the stairs in a rush, she let all the tension flow out of her with a large breath. It was going to be hard keeping this secret. But a promise was a promise.

She turned for the gift shop, where Dipper was talking to Wendy.

"And it was pretty awesome, I don't even know really how I did it- just jumped up and 'boom'," Dipper mimed the action of his kick with his fingers as a pretend him," two feet into his chest."

"And this guy had a gun on you?" Wendy asked him as she turned a page, looking between him and 'Disregarding Work Weekly'.

"Mostly. He was turning away from Mabel when I got the jump on him. He was going to shoot at her, what else was I going to do?" Dipper told her, a expectant smile on his face.

"Sounds pretty cool dude," Wendy gave the teen a congratulatory punch on the shoulder. Dipper's eyes gleamed and he stared back.

"Bragging about how you can't keep up with me in a race?" Mabel interrupted the talk, having Dipper whip around to her, pink in the cheeks.

"You took a while up there," he told her, "spying on them or something?"

"Nah, just helping Jess find some hand sanitizer," Mabel shrugged. Dipper turned away, clearly not giving it another thought. Definitely one of her better lies to her bro.

"So what's the plan then?" Wendy asked the two of them, putting down the magazine, "you going to include them in the search for answers for those blue things?"

"We need to keep them out of it," Dipper quickly answered.

"Yeah," Mabel sighed disappointedly, "Grunkle Stan was probably right. This is our nutty adventure to solve, and getting others involved isn't going to help them."

"Mabel?" a voice called from the stairs. The twins turned to find the siblings approaching the bottom of the stairs. Back to fully clothed, they eyed Mabel and Dipper carefully as they approached. "So, how about that tour, huh?"

"Heck yes!" Mabel cheered, and turned to Dipper, "how about you, Dippy-dotty?"

"No thanks," Dipper growled at his sister as Jess giggled at his nick-name.

"Uh, I'll I think I'll pass too," Jessandra also said, "not feeling like looking at a bunch of stuffed animals."

"They're not stuffed animals," Jace told her strongly," they're mysteries of the world and beyond our own understanding!"

"The only mystery this building has is how you can fall for any of it," Jess told her brother, who growled back, but turned to Mabel.

"I like her," Wendy snickered to Dipper quietly, "got spunk."

"Looks like it's just you and me, my lady," Jace nodded in a bow to Mabel, who grinned to Dipper at his action, and wrapped an arm around his shoulder.

"To the mysteries!" The two walked in unison away, deeper into the building.

"Well, they're hitting it off easily," Wendy joked, "Wonder how long it'll be until the engagement cards are sent out."

"What?" Dipper and Jess turned to her, to which the redhead burst out laughing.

"Relax, I'm joking," Wendy told them.

"Ha, good one," Dipper tried to grin, but was still uncomfortable with the idea of his sister really going for a guy so soon. He looked to Jess, who had a furrowed brow. Dipper easily assumed she had the same thought. After a long sigh, Jess turned to Dipper.

"So, uh... do you want to, maybe, go outside and look for stuff? You know, mysteries and things?" Jess tried asking with a cool attitude.

"I'm okay, thanks Jessandra," Dipper smiled to her. Her face reddened, and she nodded stiffly.

"O-okay. I'll just be outside and stuff. You know. In case you want to come outside too. Just letting you know," she said all while walking backwards towards the screen door that lead outside, "and want to hang out or... whatever."

"Okay, cool," Dipper told her with a raise of his eyebrows. Jess then stepped outside and out of sight. "Huh. That was a little weird."

"Really?" Wendy asked him, eyeing with disbelief, "you of all people think that was weird?"

"What? Why?"

"Dipper, come on, you're kidding me, right?" Wendy asked him. Dipper became flustered. Had he somehow offended Wendy with something he had done? She seemed amused by it, maybe it wasn't too bad.

"Sorry, what are you talking about?" Dipper tried, "I didn't say anything bad, did I?"

"Dipper, there are a ton of signs," Wendy snorted, "she blushed when you talked to her, she wants to hang with you, and didn't stop facing you until it became weird. Does any of that sound familiar?"

Dipper stared at the redhead. Something about the way she was saying it all did seem to hit home. Like a memory he had of something special. Or someone. Someone he was speaking to right now. Three years ago. In this very building. Dipper gasped and his eyes widened. She was right- they were tell-tale signs of the same feelings Dipper had for Wendy.

"She likes you, man," Wendy told Dipper with a small grin, "young crush, incoming."

* * *

><p>You said it Wendy. Man, Dipper just can't take a hint. Not that he ever could. Then again, he always over-thought things, at least in his attempts to get a certain someone to notice him and like him.<p>

So, Jace and Jessandra. Ten points to whoever can guess what _really_ brought them into Gravity Falls. HINT- it's bird related. ;)

A bit less of an 'exciting episode', but it was crazy at the beginning, and now we have some fun young characters for Dipper and Mabel to chill with... for the next episode. Then we move one. Because life is too fast and no one seems to stick around this town. Except for one guy, and we won't officially meet him until episode ten.

Welp, hope you enjoyed this first half of chapter seven. We're getting close to the end here folks. So enjoy it! :D

(angelic music plays, and EZB is lifted out of his chair by a golden light, out of the window and into the great silver clouds)

Okay, I didn't mean THAT kind of ending! C'mon! Put me down! GAH!

(EZB fades into the light and won't be seen unless you review him.)


	15. Birds of a Feather: Part 2

"Oh... oh man," Dipper sighed and turned away from the redhead by the counter, laying his back against the wooden island. "She likes me?"

"Kind of obvious," Wendy told him briskly, and then looked to her coworker, "right Soos?"

"_We_ _are the children of the stars and sun, the youngest seekers of each horizon_," Soos hummed as he swept the floors, enamored with the music on the radio behind him. Wendy gave him a chance to register her call, and after another verse to the music, she rolled her eyes and gave up.

"At least it's something I can tolerate," Wendy grumbled as they gave Soos an eye as he danced around.

Dipper had already fallen into his thoughts. Like a cascade of worries and doubts and fears, this news was more than just a little awkward in relation to their new friends, but it made Dipper worry about himself. Just how bad was he at detecting this sort of thing? He was used to hanging with Mabel, who when she found a crush would display her feelings with as much vigor as possible. How subtle could these hints be? Or was he just oblivious? Innocent?

The worst of these emotions was directed towards his own desires to hide his feelings. Even glancing to the redhead, who flipped a page of her magazine, seemed to incite a longing in his chest; pulling at muscle that he wanted left alone. She mustn't know. She had once, and Dipper knew it wouldn't go anywhere anyway. Mabel would definitely not be allowed to know- her unending teasing would have Dipper become a monster in a matter of days. Soos would be fair about his feelings, but he was horrible at keeping secrets, and Stan had no qualms not knowing Dipper's feelings.

But what if all this time, all these days as Dipper struggled to bury and swallow that heat that rose when he saw her, what if that all was actually on the surface? Plain in sight and easier yet to call out as 'lovey-feelings'? Well, self-burial and mummification wasn't out of the option.

"Dipper, you okay man?"

Wendy's voice rocketed his soul, his world, and he spluttered and spun around.

"Yeah, yeah!" Dipper poorly assured her, his voice slightly higher than previously, "I'm just... thinking, you know. What to do."

"Kind of funny, isn't it?" Wendy asked him, a tad of humor in her voice.

He knew exactly what she meant. The tables had been turned. Now he would play the older, apparently attractive, target and Jessandra would be the helpless young love. Wendy's comment was a joke, but there was something of a truth in it, that maybe Dipper could get help from. He had little to no experience of people liking him; something that the redhead he now faced did have.

"Wendy, you know what to do about this sort of thing, right?" Dipper asked slowly at first, "you know, dealing with someone younger than you... liking you," Dipper's heart felt like it might have exploded. That was about as close to telling her, again, how he felt. At least this time it wasn't over what he thought was her dead body in a flooded underground laboratory.

"I guess you could say that," Wendy winked playfully at him. This was all sorts of weird to Dipper now. Maybe if he hadn't still liked her, it could be funny, but she was still older than him and he still liked her.

"Can you give me a pointer? You know, something that I'll need so I don't end up hurting her?" Dipper tried, his arms hopelessly waving around. "I don't want to crush her, you know? But... she's... too young for me," Dipper admitted, a deep rooted and self-hating pain exploding in his mind. Such a freaking hypocrite.

Wendy gave him a look, and then glanced to the doors outside. Maybe she was checking to make sure the girl in question wasn't in earshot, or maybe it was to clear her thoughts, or just to remember what it was like dealing with twelve year old Dipper. Finally she hummed quietly, rocking her head in thought. Finally she spoke.

"It's hard to say, dude," Wendy shrugged, "you're going to need to find this out on your own. But," Wendy added as Dipper groaned, "I can say you'll want to play it easy. Being judgmental never helped anyone."

"I'm not-"

"I know, Dipper, I know," Wendy assured him, "but you got to understand man, this sort of thing, crushes, they're risky. You're playing around with people's feelings and stuff. Those are the easiest things in the world to get hurt."

_Tell me about it_, Dipper grumbled in his thoughts. "So then, should I just let her know?"

"Not unless you want to end your friendship quickly," Wendy laid it out to him, "honestly man, this is a waiting game. She'll tell you probably how she feels before long, and then it's up to you to be as understanding about it as possible."

"Right, understanding," Dipper nodded shallowly. Oh, he definitely understood.

"C'mon man, confidence," she told him, reaching over to put a hand on his shoulder, "trust me on this. It didn't kill you when I explained myself, did it? I mean, we both knew it wasn't really going to work."

Dipper looked her dead in the eyes. He wanted to say something, maybe an assurance, or a denial, or heck just stare into her eyes a bit longer. But her words stung him; cutting deeper than he would have expected to. He nodded slowly, lowering his eyes and stepped away.

"Yeah, maybe you're right," Dipper mumbled, and turned towards the outer door.

"Dipper?" Wendy asked, sounding uncertain.

He couldn't bare to turn around to her. Push the door open slowly, all he really wanted to do was punch himself in the head as many times until he got it.

It really wasn't going to work.

God, that was almost the worst thing said to him all summer. And it was supposed to be reassuring. Of course Wendy meant well by it, but how could he just take that information in and not feel like a metal clamp was crushing his heart; each beat it made growing tighter and tighter. Worse of all, it didn't change a thing for him. He still had that feeling lodged inside, and the image of Wendy brought flutters and pain tied together.

There was his car to the side of the building. The side door was open; probably from when Mabel climbed out. He sighed and walked over, closing the door with a slam. Maybe a tad harder than he intended to. It didn't matter- he needed a vent. Then, as he peered into front seats, he realized that there was something he could do to take his mind off of all this romantic crud.

There was still a mystery to get to. Town hall awaited.

He wanted Mabel to tag along, but she was probably too busy flirting with pretty-boy Jace to be interested with helping him now. Boys usually did come first before Dipper, after all, as far as he could remember. With a loud huff, he walked around the car, wrenched open the door, and climbed inside.

"Stupid... bumper stickers," he grumbled, and twisted the keys in the ignition, and backed the car out of the lot, and headed towards the road into town.

* * *

><p>"And here is the great, scary, and awe-inspiring Sascrotch!" Mabel declared, waving her hands to the stuffed doll of a big-foot creature in underpants. "It's mysteries are as hidden and closely kept as its tighty-whities." Jace burst out laughing, and Mabel joined him.<p>

"That's fantastic," Jace told her, and then pointed away, towards a glass box, where a still head of Larry King sat, "What's that one?"

"Oh, that's just cursed wax-figure Larry King's head," Mabel waved a hand to it, bored with it's existence, "we caught it trying to hop after a rat. See how his ear is missing? Rat stole it."

"It was... hopping after a rat?" Jace asked, leaning into the window to get a better look. "But you said it's made out of wax."

"I also said cursed wax," she reminded him, "there were a bunch of these guys once, but then they tried to kill us, so Dipper and I decapitated him."

"Oh," Jace nodded, looking to Mabel with understanding, "sounds perfectly understandable. So does it still hop around?"

"Only when the moon is waxing and at night. Don't worry," Mabel told him, "he's tried to escape, but when you get a headache from slamming your face into glass over and over, you just sort of give up and accept your fate."

"That... almost sounds depressing," Jace said, giving the head a second, saddened look.

"Uh, tried to kill us?"

"Right. Nevermind!" Jace apologetically smiled which Mabel couldn't help but giggle from. The man just flooded the room with pleasant vibes and good juju. So easy to get along with and nice to look at, Mabel wondered if she could get him to lower the hoodie.

"So," Jace began again, after a few moments of silence following their laughs, where Mabel just stared at him, "be honest with me here: are most of the things in this place really paranormal and stuff?"

"Honestly?" Mabel leaned her head back, wondering if she should tease him more. She relented, "nah. Most of them are just touristy things for summer visitors."

"Well, it's getting pretty close to that time, isn't it?" Jace asked, "what's with the lack of tours?"

"Well, Grunkle Stan is renovating. The Mystery Shack shall soon become the Mystery Manor," Mabel explained, "and besides, a lot of schools haven't let out yet. Like, next week is when I think my old elementary school lets out. High school just gets lucky. If you can call it that."

"High school," Jace murmured, like he were perplexed with the title.

"You... know what that is, right?" Mabel asked him.

"Of course I do!" he moved away from the glass box, "it's the third level in standard American public schooling. After that it's college, and then-"

"Okay, okay, you don't need to get all encyclopedia-ey on me," Mabel shoved his shoulder as he approached a construct of corn on the cob in the shape of a unicorn. "Almost sounded like Dipper for a second there."

"Sorry," he told her, "Jess and I are homeschooled, so we are kind of used to having to go into detail when someone asks questions like that. Just in case we get caught or something... have to sound normal."

"You do sound normal," Mabel promised him, a hand on his shoulder as he looked at the glued together art project turned tourist sight.

"I- that's not what I mean," he turned from the silly unicorn, brushing down his hoodie and revealing those amazing feathers from his back and behind the ears. "Can't exactly pluck them out each time I want to blend in."

"Your feathers? Don't do that," Mabel asked of him, "they're wonderful."

"And hard to hide," he added. "Running around in a hoodie in summer is hard enough, but try stealing one when you've been shot down by-" Mabel gasped. Jace squinted and put a hand to his eyes.

"You were shot down?" Mabel gently asked him, looking to his arm. Jace pulled away, fearfully looking to her. "Jace, come on man, trust me."

"I'm... really not supposed to," he told her with a pained look.

"But I trust you!" she reminded him strongly, "you wouldn't hurt me! We're friends!"

"Friends who just met."

"Still friends."

"Mabel-"

Dipper had been right, dang it all. There was more going on here than just a stupid little hunter chasing some harpies around town. Why couldn't she just be lucky enough to have fate deliver this great looking, sounding, heck even smelling guy to her feet like a basket full of joy? Was there something wrong with that?

"Jace," Mabel held her ground, firm, but gentle as she glared at him, "please. Tell me what's really going on?"

"Please, can you drop it?" Jace begged her. His eyes shimmered. It must pain him to have to constantly shut her out, or anyone else he had ever known not savvy with whatever secrets he held. Mabel was not in that kind of pitying mood though.

"What kind of secret is it that you won't even tell me?" Mabel demanded. Pretty as he was, there wasn't much he could do except tell her what was going on that wouldn't please her.

"The really dangerous and life-changing kind," Jace quickly told her, "not something I want to drop onto anyone's day."

"We deal with that kind of stuff all the time," Mabel said with confidence, "heck, back when Dipper and I came up here for the first time, and when we discovered Grunkle Stan was working on a giant portal to-"

"Wait, what!?" Jace gasped, leaning back. Mabel smiled confidently.

"See? Trust. Me."

"But... I-"

"Jace, I lied to my brother for you and your sister," she told him, and his shoulder slumped, "I'm keeping a secret from him because you asked me to. I'm lying to my freaking brother, dude! He _loves_ this sort of thing, and I'm keeping one away from him as it walks right past his eyes. So fess up before I get tired of lying to him!"

Jace lifted his gaze from the ground. There it was again, those puppy-dog sad eyes. God she wanted to sooth him out, tell him she didn't mean it, but there was something angering about how much she had been willing to tell them anything they wanted, and still found this much resistance. She was a fast friend-maker, and she understood people move at different paces, but she felt locked out from this guy she liked. With a angry snort, she turned away, and started marching out.

"Wait."

Mabel halted and turned. Jace was reaching inside his sweater, and began to lift his injured arm out of its sleeve. She watched as he again removed his entire thick sweater, and held it aside. In a white wife-beater, he stood before her. Not hiding his injured arm with his sweater like last time, he turned his shoulder towards her, and she saw it. A bandage had been tightly wrapped above his elbow, a faint red mark along its side. No bruise, but a cut or slice along his arm.

"We met him yesterday," Jace explained, sitting down on the floor sadly as Mabel walked over, "we were lost. We'd never been to Oregon or Washington before, and we were just following a trail. Then we met him; Mister Folbrow. The Hunter. He just grazed me."

"You knew him?" Mabel asked, sitting in front of him.

"We trusted him. He seemed like the best source of information and seemed pretty friendly. Mabel, that was until we told him what we were looking for. Then he went mad. He demanded we take him with us, and let him... use it."

"Use it?" Mabel repeated.

"What my sister and I are following," Jace added, "it's dangerous. A creature of myth and legend, dating so far back in time I don't even think the English language was invented when these things flew around in the skies still."

"This thing also flies?" Mabel inquired, "why is it dangerous?"

"Well, it kind of has a tendency to destroy things by accident. It's just its nature. But what makes it really scary is what it makes people do."

"And that is?" Mabel asked, looking to her feathered friend, who was busy picking at the bandages on his arm.

"Go mad," he said simply.

"Oh. Yeah, that seems pretty dangerous enough," Mabel admitted, "why does it do it, exactly? Can you tell it to chill or whatever?"

"Mabel, it doesn't need to do anything. All that happens is people find out it's real, and that it's ashes can... create miracles, and people go crazy looking for it," Jace fearfully explained, "look at Folbrow- he almost shot you guys to keep you away from us!"

"And that's why you wont trust me?" Mabel said as she nodded to herself, coming to understand his fear, "because you think I'll go crazy and try shooting you too."

"I, uh, it sounds stupid for you, but-"

"Then trust me!" Mabel begged, scooting closer, "Jace, c'mon pal! Look at me!" she reached inside her pocket and withdrew a roll of her stickers. He stared at them as she pulled on off, put it on her face, and then followed suit with his own cheek, where a sticker proudly read "Such a fly-guy" with an eagle wearing sunglasses. He chuckled at hers, which read "Cat-astrophically purrfect" where a well groomed silver and grey cat wore a tux. "Boop. See? Your friend."

Jace smiled despite himself. He clearly still strongly felt opposed to letting her in on anything. Yet Mabel saw it, a dawning understanding that Mabel, even if she was a goofy, airheaded silly teenager, would be there.

"Okay," Jace said as he nodded, and began to stand up. Mabel followed him and he added, "but let's get my sister and your brother in on this too, okay?"

"I like it even more now," Mabel grinned, "just as I like you."

"Hah, you're funny," Jace smiled, and rubbed the top of her head, "just as always."

"Huh? That wasn't a-" Mabel stammered, but Jace was grinning and walking past her.

Mabel cursed the inside of her brain. That had to have been almost perfect! She made a breakthrough with the topic of him hiding things from her, and then even getting to state she liked him. How did he miss that? Was he too intent on the revealing of his secret to her and her brother? Dang it! Mabel followed Jace's progress back through the shows and into the gift shop, where Wendy stared out the door, looking concerned.

"Excuse me," Jace asked, catching Soos's attention, "hey. Have you seen Dipper or my sister around?"

"Sure dude," Soos nodded, "your little sister was getting something from Dipper's car I think."

"Thanks," Jace nodded and headed for the door, leaving Mabel to try Soos for herself.

"Soos, you seen Dipper?" Mabel walked over to the handyman, who had lowered the music, the radio have changed from his new favorite band.

"Uh yeah, he and Wendy were talking a few minutes ago I think," Soos turned to his co-worker, "yo, Wendy! Dawg, you seen Dipper?"

"Huh?" she blinked and looked back to them, "uh... yeah, he went outside."

"Well, he could be anywhere now," Mabel exaggerated hopelessly. Footsteps heralded the return of Jace, who seemed panicked. "What's wrong?" she asked him.

"Dipper's car is gone," he stated worriedly.

"Oh, that explains what the sound was outside," Soos nodded, "guess he headed out for something."

"But did you see my sister leave the car?" Jace demanded of Soos.

"Uh... no. No I did not."

"They really could be anywhere now," Jace growled, hands on his eyes, "great. Just when bro wants to say something important, little sis has to go running off with a stranger- err, friend," Jace added at a warning glance from Mabel, "sorry, still in protective mode."

"I suppose I understand. Alpha twin here; I get you. Follow me," Mabel told him, walking towards the door. "We're going to go talk to them together."

"But we don't know where they went," Jace worried as he followed, keeping up with Mabel as they exited the shop.

"Actually, if he took his car," Mabel told him, "I know exactly where he went. You like bikes?" Mabel suddenly asked him.

"Love them," Jace grinned. Mabel's beaming smile grew even wide, and she lifted a hand to point to her pink, shining bike. "Oh my god. That color is amazing."

"You... you really think so?" Mabel inquired, "not too girly or anything like that?"

"What's wrong with girly?" Jace retorted, and began to approach the bike. Mabel hopped on first, and handed him a pair of her sunglasses she had an extra of. As she slipped on her own safety helmet, she revved the engine with a kick, and spun the bike to the driveway.

"Hold on!" Mabel told him once, and off they went.

* * *

><p>Dipper had the luxery of a quiet ride so far. Without Mabel talking about this or that, he could let his thoughts settle. Granted, he did miss the company, but having a ride to play ear to Mabel's strange dreams involving dancing pigs or llamas with scarves doing criminal acts was a tiring one.<p>

Maybe he could let his mind rest for once.

"Hi Dipper!" a chipper voice suddenly piqued out from the back.

Dipper screamed, accidentally grabbing the wheel in his jump in his seat. The car swerved off his side of the road, and Dipper swerved again, just barely missing an oncoming truck. As the driver of the said truck cursed and yelled back at Dipper, who breathed heavily. He had not been the only one screaming when he saw the oncoming truck.

"What the-" he, still driving, whipped around to the side, and found a shaken Jessandra, hiding in the leg space by his seat. "Jessandra!?"

"Haa... Hi."

"What the heck- why are you- how did you-"

"I dropped this," she admitted, holding up a small necklace with a decorated charm hanging from a link. "When you came in, I... uh... didn't want to get in your way, but then you started the car, and I wasn't sure if you still wanted me to say anything, so I just-"

"You've been in my car the entire time," Dipper stated aloud, "and were hiding in the backseat without a seatbelt on?"

"Oh... sorry?" she asked, biting her lip, and looking very much in trouble. Dipper sighed, the panic of being startled from a car that he was supposedly alone in subsiding. At least it would explain why the door was open. His frown grew and morphed into a strained smile. He had to give her credit- she was sneaky.

"Well, you can come up here I guess," Dipper told her, squirming in his seat to regain a comfortable position.

"Are... are you sure?" she asked him, putting a hand on the shoulder of the supposed seat.

"Go for it dude," Dipper told her, reclining the seat slightly to give her some leverage. "Just climb over it."

Jess checked with him once more, but Dipper was too busy watching the road to see her grin as she lifted her feet over the back of the car seat and land her butt right in the middle, where the sound of pulled leather met her landing. Sliding a seatbelt into the slot, she looked back to him.

'I'm really sorry," she restated, "I just didn't want to annoy you."

"It's nothing," Dipper assured her, "you just freaked me out."

"And for the record, I think my brother is dumb," she told him firmly," your car is awesome, and it doesn't need bumper stickers."

Dipper laughed, shaking his head. So she had heard that little bit too he supposed. He gave her a glance. She was staring at him, a small smile on her face and played with a bang of hair next to her face.

"You could take off the hoodie if you'd like," Dipper told her as he started to enter town, woods becoming homes and residential spaces.

"I'm okay," she told him, "your air conditioner is nice."

"Really?" he asked again, "I know how hair feels when you got a hat on it for hours. You sure you don't want to take it off?"

She shifted her gaze away from him, and stared out the window. Some of the hopeful light was shaken away. Dipper was certain something was odd about it. Wearing a hoodie still? Even in the car going somewhere?

"Nah, I'm good. Thanks though," she said.

Dipper nodded and looked ahead.

So she liked him. Just using the sidelines of his vision, he could occasionally catch her peeking over to him, and then releasing a big sigh. Maybe she did want to say something important. Maybe she was just like him with Wendy- she wanted to say something truly nerve wracking and fear inducing but couldn't muster the courage. If that were the case, he didn't blame her. It was hard even now, when he was fifteen to tell anyone, let alone back when he was twelve.

"Hey, Jess," he asked her after a few moments, "how old are you? Your brother and you didn't say."

"I'm thirteen," she informed him simply, "and he's sixteen. How old are, uh, you, Dipper?"

"Fifteen," Dipper told her easily, and grinned with a plan, glancing to her again, "bet you can't guess Mabel's age."

"Uh... aren't you twins?" she asked. "So... fifteen?"

"And here I thought I could make you look silly for a second," Dipper groaned sarcastically, "smart as you look, aren't you?" Dipper said as he turned a corner with the car. Red flashed across her face and she sunk into her seat. Okay, if there had been doubt before, it was gone now. She was entirely smitten.

"So, uh, where are we going to anyway? I guess I'm just in for the ride," Jess cleared her throat and spoke to him again, "but I'm kind of curious. Where are we off to?"

"Town Hall," he told her, "I have something I need to look up."

"Oh? Like what?" she asked excitedly.

"I can't tell you."

"Huh? Why not?"

"It's an official mystery twin secret," Dipper told her with a grin, baiting a new trap once again, "so I can't tell you."

"Aww, c'mon Dipper," she whined, leaning on the armrest between them, "just a hint? Something?"

"Hmm... I don't know," Dipper shook his head, "it's sort of a code not to go spill secrets behind a twin's back."

Jess surprised Dipper with her reaction. Certainly she seemed disappointed, but stricken, or even hurt? It was like she had just realized something horrible she had done, and it only fueled Dipper's suspicion. He wouldn't mention her look though. He had to play this smart.

"So, I'll tell you what though," he told her, and she looked back to him from the windshield, "we can do a trade."

"... a secret trade?"

"Mmhmm. One secret for another."

"But you just said-"

"Giving one away without consent is one thing, Jess," Dipper told her with expertise as he drove down the main road, "but a trade means both parties gets something."

"I can't," Jess huffed and crossed her arms tightly, looking away.

Dipper sighed, keeping his eyes on the road. He was close to getting an answer out of her. He just needed a clue. Something small to tip him off that he could deduct to a solid piece of truth.

She wore a hoodie all day. That could make her a vampire, except her skin is very pale for a vampire, and he clearly remembers seeing their face hit sunlight at least once in the whole time he's seen them. They're not dirty, but they've been traveling was particularly odd.

How did one remain clean while traveling. Hiking was not a clean thing to do- bushes and trees and tripping into the dirt and rain all contributed to a mess on the persons fingernails or hair. The fact that they were clean meant only one of two possible things: they were not traveling at all and were from the town and had never met the twins, or they hadn't traveled by foot.

But if they hadn't hiked, why wouldn't they have not just retreated to their mode of transportation? It would have been easy enough, Dipper reasoned. Run into a car or bus or truck and floor the gas to get away from that crazy hunter guy. Jace was old enough to drive a car- maybe not entirely legally, like Dipper, but he could pass for a local. Then again, Dipper never remembered seeing a wallet from either of them, or a key ring.

What did stick out was his injured arm. Jace had his arm injured. Something about that seemed odd- it would hurt to drive, but he didn't need both arms to get away.

Unless they didn't have a car. Which meant they had to be some sort of locals. Maybe they had been hiding all this time, or they did recently move in.

Dipper could get an answer from this from the destination. But maybe he could squeeze a hint from her yet. Maybe he could risk a-

"So what are those blue glowy things in your room?" Jess suddenly asked.

_Uh... Oh. Oh! Wait, she saw those?!_ Dipper fumed in his head, his entire carefully and clearly thought out plan being shot down by a single sentence. He couldn't show it, any revealing of distress would tip her off; he knew she was clever.

"They're experiments Mabel and I have been working on," Dipper lied quickly, "glow-sticks that are light-absorbent so that you can reuse them."

"Oh. That's all they are?" she asked again, "Mabel didn't like it when I saw them."

"Nah, she wouldn't," Dipper nodded confidently, his mind freaking out as he struggled to keep a straight face, "she's the one who had the idea. See, she loves a wild party, so what better to invent for our parties only than re-useable glow-sticks? We're trying to keep it under wraps."

"... uh huh," Jessandra nodded slowly, eyeing Dipper further, "are you sure-"

"One second," Dipper told her, as he saw a car parking spot nearby town hall, and drove right for it. Once he had parked, and turned off the engine, he sighed, ready for his two cents on the matter. "Jess, I think we both know what's going on."

"Uh- uh- uh- I don't know what you're talking about," she spluttered, holding the neck of her sweater to hide her cheeks.

"Not that," Dipper rolled his eyes, certain she thought he was talking about her feelings, "our hidden secrets. C'mon, let's be honest for a second here." She blinked, and sat back up, unbuckling her seatbelt for comfort. "We're both hiding things from one another, but then expect to get an answer from the other person?"

She looked to him, blinking. She did nod slowly, and a puzzled expression crept over her face.

"So, let's make a promise now, okay?" Dipper asked her, "until one or the other is willing to be honest about something, we keep these secrets to ourselves. No more prodding for answers if we can't come into the light about it. Because trust me," Dipper shook his head as he looked to her, "you don't have a story half as clever as you think you do."

"What!? But it's, uh, true?" she tried, a portion of shame reading out of her.

"Like I said, no more guessing for secrets until we will talk about them," Dipper asked her, "deal?" he extended his hand to her. Jess took it with a slow shake, discouraged by his proposal. "Okay then. You want to come in? There isn't too much to do in there, but it probably sure beats sitting in a car without air conditioning with a hoodie on."

"... Yeah, I'll tag along," she told him.

The two exited the car, and headed for the marble building before them. Old, old fashioned and certainly D.C. inspired, the Gravity Falls town hall reminded Dipper of what the Goblins had used for their own government building. A few dirty columns were raised on the tops of the stairs that lead into the large building. It was six stories tall, and seemed only half as busy as the local mall.

Dipper grinned. The Library may not have all the answers, but this place probably did.

They climbed the stairs and passed Sherriff Blubs, who was carrying a large pile of tambourines to his car. Jess pointed the odd sight to Dipper, who just shrugged. Passing a few other business looking types, they entered the main lobby. Large and grand were characteristics that could be used to describe the inside, but also disorganized.

The main desk before them, managed by a sleeping woman with sunglasses on, had piles of papers collected long its rim, presenting a horrible collection of assignments the town needed doing, from fixing broken street lights to properly assigning street names. The two approached the woman. Sadly enough, this place was in such a state that Dipper wouldn't be surprised if the gap in the week was just due to a power outage and they never got back to it.

"Excuse me," Dipper called to the woman. She didn't stir from her leant back pose, her mouth open with a faint trail of drool coming from her lips. She may have been thirty, a skinnier woman with long dark hair. "Excuse me," Dipper tried again, louder. Without much of a warning, Jess kicked the desk loudly, and the woman gasped and shot up with a snort.

"Hey!" Jessandra shouted.

"Boss, I was just resting my eyes!" the woman claimed, adjusting herself and cleaning her face as she looked around.

"Nice," Dipper said quietly, offering her a fist to bump subtly, which she took gladly.

"Huh? Whu-" the woman had looked all around her, and finally spotted the two before her. "Oh. Uh... new work?"

"Excuse me?" Dipper blinked.

"Interns. You here for the new work? You can start by organizing all of this, and then taking it up to floor three to mister-"

"We're not interns. Does it even look like she can work here?" Dipper asked her, nodding to Jess, who shrugged.

"Oh... dang it. Well, what do you want?" the woman asked, looking around her desk for something, and found it; placing her nametag on her shirt, which read 'Mrs. E. Janice'.

"Well, Misses Janice," Dipper started, "I was hoping I could get the town records for population monitoring in the past three years. People moving in, moving out, birth records, all that cool stuff."

"Uh... you want demographic charts?" she asked him, an eyebrow raising past her sunglasses, "aren't you in high school? What're doing with demographics?"

"Summer school project. I start them early," Dipper told her easily, as it was a truth. Aside from these past two weeks, he had fully intended to get all his summer assignments done as soon as he was home. Of course, running off to send farewells to Grunkle Stan had changed a thing or two, but that wasn't something he could just have ignored.

"Huh... uh, well, okay then. I'll need a day to check this and print out a copy for you," she told him briskly, pulling her office chair to a paper-buried computer, and typed away, opening something before her eyes.

"What do you need this stuff for?" Jess asked quietly next to him, and he bent himself closer to her.

"What did we promise?"

"This is part of your secret?" she asked him, and he nodded. "Oh..." a struggle began to brew in her mind, easily visible to Dipper. Frustrated pouted lips were chewed and she closed her eyes and sighed. "Oh fine! Jace and I are not gypsies. We're looking for something."

"Oh yeah?" Dipper looked to her fully, "a specific something?"

"Yes. Your turn- what're you looking for?" she asked him as he turned back towards the desk. She hadn't said much about her purpose, but he figured it was enough to warrant a bit of his own side.

"A specific time and gap in town data a little less than three years ago," Dipper told her, "something that can tell me if anything weird is going on in this town- like if someone specific moved into this town."

"Oh... why?" She asked him, but nodded as he looked to her expectantly, "right, okay- only if I tell."

"If you give me a number," E. Janice said as she looked from the computer, adjusting her sunglasses with a sniff, "I'll contact you when we have it. You said this is for school, right?"

"Yes," Dipper nodded, "my cell phone will work, won't it?"

She nodded curtly and he bent forward. As Dipper told her the number, he could feel a tug on his vest. Looking to Jess, he noticed a worried look with her. She had turned around, staring out the door.

"Dipper," she said quieter than before, "I think we're being watched."

"There are security cameras, yeah," Dipper nodded as he pointed to the corners of the large room.

"No, outside," she pointed.

His vision followed hers. He could make out his car sitting by the street, alone save for Sherriff Blubs passing by, balancing his collection of instruments. Yet there was a feeling, a vibe of something. Dipper wasn't even sure what it was that made him feel so- there wasn't anything particularly wrong with the outside world. Even so, he knew his instincts to be a powerful ally. Ones he should trust.

"Okay, let's get going," Dipper said quietly to Jess, and as she nodded he looked back to the attendant behind the desk, "we're going to be going now. Thank you for the time."

"We'll let you know. Good luck on your project," she replied without a trace of enthusiasm as they left her.

The two headed out the doors. That feeling persisted- a sense of being stared down by an unknown overseer. Dipper didn't like it. It wasn't a friendly vibe. Somewhere, nearby someone was watching him.

He tugged on Jess's shoulder, and nodded towards the Sherriff, who was carefully stacking away his new collection into the trunk of his patrol car. Deputy Durland was assisting, making sure the metallic cymbals didn't hit one another for a quiet ride. It they walked around their car, they would be safer.

"Freeze!"

Dipper and Jess stared at the cops, who just looked back. They hadn't shouted it. The two teens slowly turned, and emerging from behind one of the columns was him. The Hunter. He was armed again, and directed that same double-barreled shotgun right at Jess. Dipper took a step between the two.

"Get away from her," the man growled, "she's mine."

"What do you want with her?" Dipper demanded.

"Hey, what's goin' on here?" Deputy Durland stepped up, his hand resting by the gun holster on his belt, "is there a problem-"

The feral look in the hunter's eyes twitched. Dipper ducked and grabbed Jess before it happened. Lucky for Durland, the hunter fired a warning shot just above his head, tossing his hat into the sky.

"She's mine to lead me, you hear?! It ain't for you, boy!" the man screamed as Dipper and Jess ran behind the police vehicle. Deputy Durland flung himself to the ground as his Sherriff readied a retaliation. Opening one of the side doors, he hide behind it as a shield.

"Put the weapon down, buddy," Blubs warned him as he raised his pistol.

The hunter laughed, raised his own shotgun, and shot at the door. The force behind the shot jolted the door back, smacking the dark skinned office with the glass window in his face, stunning him and knocking him to the ground.

"RUN!" Dipper yelled as the both turned and took off running down the road.

They needed to get off the street as soon as possible. He was in pursuit, loading in another pair of shells into his weapon, ignoring the panicked officers they left behind. Dipper's car was coming up, but it would take too long. He scolded himself for even considering the siblings being able to get away with car- by the time he would have sat down, his windshield would have been shattered.

"This way!" Dipper ducked behind an alley, pulling Jess with him. She gasped as she left the ground with his tug and landed next to him, continuing their run.

"Where are we going?" Jess demanded as they headed towards a wooden fence. Dipper cringed as he realized this was the same alley he had tried pinning the warlock a week ago.

"Over the fence!" Dipper shouted, getting just a tad bit ahead of her, and lowering his hands. Jess took the initiative perfectly- and leapt onto his hands and into the air. Dipper almost gasped- she flipped in mid air. Graceful didn't cover it. "Nice!" he told her, climbing after her quickly. As he dropped behind the fence, he spotted the hunter round the corner, and point his gun right for them. Without a warning, Dipper dived and tackled her.

A cluster round of buckshot blast through the wooden panels, soaring past the grounded teens.

"Ow, Dipper," Jess groaned, but she was quickly silence as he pulled her up and got her on her feet.

"Move!"

She nodded and the two took off into the woods. This would be their best bet for keeping him out of direct line of sight with his shotgun. At least to a certain degree. Dipper just worried if they kept going a certain way he would wind up with a worse creature of monster in their face.

"Just chasing you for because you stole something, huh?" Dipper called to her as they leapt over a fallen tree.

"W-what?" she gasped, checking behind her.

"You said he wanted something back from you, didn't you?" Dipper reminded her as they passed through a cluster of thick bushes, feeling the scrape and prod of branches and thin leaves. "He just said you were going to lead him to something."

"I- uh- he- he thinks we buried it?"

"Oh come on! You're not even trying!"

"Yes I am! I mean- uh- no! It's the truth?"

"Really!? You stole and buried something so important he was going to shot at a cop, and shoot through me to get to you?" Dipper barked at her, feeling the dirt beneath him kick into the air.

"You said we weren't going to talk any more about that stuff!" Jess shouted back, more startled that Dipper was raising his tone with her.

"Well I made that promise under the premise we wouldn't be running for our lives!"

"So?!" She scoffed.

"So it's a contextual promise!" He shouted to the trees. BOOM. Behind them the splitting of bark announcing the near miss the hunter had made. He was managing to keep up.

"So you're still not going to say what this is all about?" Dipper asked her, "so if he shoots me I was running away with a secret I won't ever know?"

"I made a promise, Dipper!" Jess shouted, "I made it to my family I can't talk about it!"

Dipper growled as he ducked under a branch. They needed help. Grunkle Stan could probably take this hunter guy out, if Dipper was shouting all the way to bring out a gun. But that wasn't just across town, that was across town directly behind him. An hour jog. Running, maybe thirty minutes. Mabel didn't have a phone, and even if she did, what instructions to get to him could Dipper provide? Turn right at the nearest redwood?

There was someone else who lived in the mountains though. Something else. And he was big and protective of his friend, Dipper Pines.

"Multi-bear," Dipper mumbled.

"Multi-what?"

"I know of someone who can get this guy off our tracks. It's that way," he pointed over her heard towards mountains and cliffs in the far distance to her left, "so turn whenever!"

Jess nodded and they both started an arcing turn through the trees, keeping their pace steady as they wove around the thick trunks of surrounding nature.

"Fine, you still don't trust me, huh?" Dipper glanced to her as they darted through trees, passing between one another.

"I never said that," Jess told him, "I just said that-"

Dipper growled loud enough to cut her off. Dang it. She was smart, capable, and he wanted trust between the two of them. If he had to extend the olive branch first, so be it. He just hoped it was enough for her to understand and cooperate with him.

"When Mabel and I came up to Gravity Falls we found those glowing rod things," Dipper began, furrowing his brow, "that are sitting in my bedroom. They conduct energy and electricity and can disperse it to the other nearby same-kind-of batteries. We weren't sure what to think of it until we accidentally zapped a girl in town, and she turned out to be a super-robot."

"... a super robot?" Jess asked, her eyes wide, drinking in each word, "like, she was powerful and stuff?"

"No, just super-advanced. Like an android or something from a movie. We only had two when we found her- the third came from her."

"Wow."

"Before we could get a chance to really figure out what was going on, she vanished for a night. When we found her again, she lost her memory of meeting us. I need to figure out what's going on before I go back home," Dipper finalized, "I don't just let up on something like this!"

"I can tell!" Jess laughed beside herself, smiling at Dipper with a rose like complexion. Dipper let himself grin a little bit. He knew that look she was giving him- the same one he had given to Wendy many times when he was younger. When he had been her age.

"By that crevice!" Dipper pointed by his side, where a rain-carved section of the forest opened a downward slope for them to run in. Dipper was certain it would lead to the mountain where his strange, mutant friend resided. Dipper had been through this area before- he was certain a cave from which werewolves resided was nearby. "As long as we get through this place fast enough, we should be safe. Come on!"

They started their running, rocks and pebbles tossed up behind them as they headed down the clay and dirt constructed natural path.

"Jace and I are protectors of a phoenix," Jess said suddenly, almost causing Dipper to trip over his feet. "You okay?"

"Yeah- a phoenix?" he required of her an answer as he looked behind him. "You... you're looking for the one that came by yesterday!"

"I thought it was weird your roof caught fire but nothing else did," Jess told him, and Dipper nodded with a snort. She really was clever. "My family line has always watched that bird in Canada- where it gets too cold for it to grow any larger, and so it can't die and release its ashes. It grows with heat, you see!"

"The ashes- that's what the hunter wants, isn't it?" Dipper asked, pulling out his journal as he ran, and flipping through his pages. Many pages zoomed by him, and Jess watched him scan them, "this journal mentions them a few times. Powerful life-granting properties."

"Not just life- it can cure ailments, break curses, you name it-"

BOOM.

The two ducked as buckshot flew past them, narrowly grazing Dipper's vest. The hunter had caught up.

"But how do you possibly know how to follow it? And you said you were from Canada? How did you even get here so fast!?" Dipper demanded as they turned a bend in the small canyon. "Oh... oh no."

Boulders and rocks had fallen onto this dirt path before them. The pile was high enough for them to crane their heads upwards. A mudslide must have caused this at some point.

"Damn it," Dipper swore, and turned to Jess, "jump up!" he told her indicating to the seven foot wall next to him.

"I'm not leaving you!" she shouted back, her eyes widening in fear, "he'll kill you!"

"I'm not going to die today," Dipper told her with a wink, "go!" he said, and without giving her a choice, he grabbed her arms and with surprising easy, tossed her above himself and onto the edge. Looking back to where he had come from, he began to holler. "HEY! HEY OVER HERE!" he stomped his feet and clapped his hands, making as much noise as he could.

"Dipper?"

"Shh," Dipper turned to her, "hide for now. Help me up when I say so," Dipper whispered to her, and then turned back to the way they had come. "HEY! WE GIVE UP! COME AND GET ME!"

The hunter arrived. Sliding to a stop, he eyed Dipper angrily. His gun at the ready, but not directed at Dipper yet. The teenager swallowed. He was brave and maybe reckless, but he wasn't dumb. He really could be shot now.

"Where is she, boy?" he asked Dipper with a sniff.

"Oh you know, she just flew away into the air," Dipper said loudly, hoping his voice would echo loudly around. "Gone forever."

"She... dang it!" the hunter swore loudly, kicking a large rock to his side with his boot. "Dang it boy! You let her go!?"

"I... yeah," Dipper blinked. He had intended his flying comment as a joke, but he took it seriously. What was with that? She didn't have wings. Even if she did, he would have noticed- entire wings popping out of her shoulders would have been hard to hide. "You know... just 'whoosh' and she's gone. Look sir, I need to let you know: we're in danger now."

"HA!" the hunter barked at Dipper, patting his shotgun, "you're in danger, buster. Now here's how this is gonna work: you come with me, we get her brother, and we get her back, and you don't get shot up. Sounds good for you?"

"Sir, I made loud noises for a reason-" Dipper began before being cut off.

"I said," the man adjusted his gun, pointing it at Dipper's feet, "you're coming with me."

"Okay, I will. But you need to understand, there's were-"

BOOM.

The sound echoed upwards towards the trees and closer by dark mountains.

A large section of dirt had been blown away by the teenagers feet. Dipper stumbled back, gasping and holding his almost lost foot with a hand. Sweat was forming by his forehead. Brave or not, he wasn't looking forward to a trip to his maker today.

"Let's try this one... more... time," the hunter sneered as he aimed the shotgun right at Dipper's head, "you're coming with-"

A dark call rumbled through the air. Both men paused in their struggle of wills, looking to the sky for an answer. It was a howl.

Then there was another howl. And another howl. More terrible howls with deadly intent and vicious predatory instinct filled the air. The hunter stepped back slightly, lowering his gun from it's steady aim at the teenager. "Wolves?" he asked aloud, "why're they howling in the daytime?"

"Because they're not wolves," Dipper said to him, shaking.

His plan hadn't been stupid; it had been dangerous and reckless.

Above them, emerging from the trees were fur covered beasts, running towards them on their four legs, but large in the shoulders and with large eyes and long snouts. Long pointed ears rose from the back of their skulls as they snarled and snapped at the air as they charged towards the crevice. True, genuine, scary, blood-hungry werewolves were prowling for them.

"Jess!" Dipper shouted. No sooner had Jess lunged over the edge and helped Dipper up than the hunter turned tail and fled, shouting for his life as a trail of angry wolves dived into the crevice and chased after him. Dipper and Jess stepped back, hoping they wouldn't draw attention.

They were not ignored.

Several larger werewolves leapt right over the large crevice, and a new run begin. Taking her lead, Dipper turned and fled with Jessica as soon as he saw them leap over the gap. Unlike the hunter, these werewolves would not be reasoned with. They were entirely feral, and no longer could transform back to a human state. There was nothing they could do now but run.

"What did he mean when he thought you could fly away?" Dipper shouted as they ran along side the crevice.

"He's... he's crazy!" Jess stammered as she glanced behind her, the beasts gaining on them. "I don't know what he's talking about!"

"Jess-"

"I'll tell you when we get away! I swear!"

Dipper nodded as they continued their escape. Nothing slowed down the darkly predators as they lunged over logs, ducked under thick branches, over bushes and past thorny plants. Dipper saw the mountain that homed the Multi-bear looming closer. He had never seen it from this angle, but it wouldn't matter. As soon as they started climbing the side, as he had done a week ago, they would have an ally even the strongest werewolves behind them could not stop.

Only a cliff appeared before them, breaking off their direct course.

"DAMN!" Dipper shouted as he saw the huge drop was not only something they could not leap over, but as they got closer and closer, it simply seemed to grow deeper and deeper. Another unexplored Gravity Falls natural wonder.

"Dipper," Jess called next to him as they continued to run forward, "you trust me, right?"

"Yes," he nodded as he looked to her, checking her eyes for one last time. She no longer had a doubt in them.

"Okay," she gasped as she, still running, tore off her hoodie and threw it behind her. Dipper gasped as one of the werewolves actually caught its legs in the cloth, tearing it apart but also slipping and falling to its side. "Then trust me!" Jessandra shouted as she grasped his hand.

Dipper's eyes widened, only looking forward. He didn't even see her now, only the approaching edge. She wasn't about to do some clever stunt- he felt the pull. They were going off the edge with one-hundred percent intent to plunge down to the bottom. Dipper screamed as he and the younger girl leapt into the air.

She was no longer next to him. Dipper saw the world slow, and, staring below him, wondered how long it would take for him to hit the bottom. Maybe a few seconds. It wouldn't hurt, at least.

The there was a tug as something wrapped itself around his shoulders, tucking itself into his armpits tightly. Now... he wasn't falling anymore.

"Come on!" Jessandra's voice begged, straining and groaning. Dipper slowly looked up.

"Jess... your ears-"

Her ears had very long brown and gold feathers protruding from its top and sides, tracing down to back of her neck. Her arms were held aloft to the sides, and her entire length was covered in huge, long, and beautiful feathers of similar color. They shot out past her hands like trails of color, drifting in the air. The gold shimmered in the light as she passed between his sight and the sun.

"You're... you're a harpy," Dipper gasped.

A gust of wind rushed underneath them, and Dipper yelped. He felt the sudden pull of flight below him. Jessandra's huge feathers caught the updraft and carried him, along with herself, into the sky.

"Dipper, are you okay?" Jessandra asked from above him as they exited the canyon, soaring above the tree tops. "Dipper?" she added with a worried tone when he said nothing.

He had just escaped death with his skin on its teeth. Werewolves were now a distant memory, along with that mad, dangerous hunter. Before him was a vast wilderness of trees, mountains, cliffs and rivers. The beautiful landscape that surrounded Gravity Falls struck him.

What could he say?

"You did it!" Dipper cheered, trying to pat her legs, but finding her pinning herself against him made his arms immobile. "That was incredible!"

"You... you really think so?" she asked, her flight slowly taking her down, towards the town.

"Yes! Oh man, this is awesome! Mabel is going to be so excited to know we're friends with Harpies!" he shouted to her as they closed in on the town, "hey, land over there. We don't want everyone to see your, uh, special qualities."

She followed his direction, and landed behind a bar on the outskirts of the downtown region of Gravity Falls. Letting go of Dipper first, she flapped her arms easily and dropped next to him. Dipper was in awe as he watched her feathers slowly fold and retract into the outside of her arm.

"That's so cool," he couldn't help but admit, which he felt slightly ashamed for as soon as she blushed. "Sorry, I don't want to make you feel weird or anything."

"It's okay," she shrugged. "I need something to cover this up," she pointed to her ears and head, where the protrusion of feathers hadn't retracted.

"Hm... you're right," Dipper smiled and plucked off his head his own hat, and put it on her head, "that looks better, doesn't it?"

Words failed the young harpy for a few moments. She, holding the neck of her t-shirt, was looking to the ground. Had Dipper struck her with something mean? He hadn't meant to- it just seemed like the right thing to do- she had just saved his life.

"Uh, it's okay, I know it's kind of a crummy hat," Dipper apologized and scratched his hair, "I can take it back if you-"

"It's not crummy!" she defended, holding it onto her blond hair under the cap, "I... I just feel bad for you giving it away."

"It's just a hat, Jess," Dipper shrugged, "it's almost too small for me anyway. I think," he reached around her, adjusting the fastener on the other side, "it will fit you perfectly."

"You think?" she asked with a growing shy smile.

"Absolutely," Dipper grinned back. "Now come on, let's get back to the car."

"Bu-bu-but what if people in town see me!?"

"People in town see weird stuff all the time. A girl with feathers being lead around by me isn't something a lot of people will look twice at," Dipper told her, "you just have to act like its nothing."

"Uh... okay," Jess nodded, "can... can I hold your hand when we're going back?"

"... I don't see why not," Dipper told her.

The two grabbed hold and started their walk out. Dipper ruffled his head and wondered if he was going to get a cap or not- he had always wondered if a beanie would do him well. Maybe he could get a small fedora? Then it reminded him of a certain triangle he once knew. Forget the fedora.

"DIPPER!"

A pink motorcycle ridden by a wild looking frizzled brunette and a shaken but smiling hooded man pulled up before them. "DIPPER! There you are, we need to talk! Jace and Jessandra need to tell us something super-cool!"

"Wait, is Jess without her sweater?" Jace lifted his sunglasses, and Mabel was prompted to do the same. The two gasped: without the dark glasses they saw the truth. "JESS! He can see you! The _weird_ part of you!"

"I know. My hoodie got eaten by wild werewolves," Jess groaned, "I kind of miss it."

"By wild- wait... what?" Jace shook his head quickly as if an ball bounced around inside his skull. "Werewolves?!"

"Isn't that your hat?" Mabel asked to her brother, pointing to Jess's head.

Many promises of explanation were made, and the four managed to get back Dipper and Jess to his car, and briskly return to the Mystery Manor. It was in the return that the discovery had been made about how each of them, in their own way, had broken their promises of secrecy. Far from the visitors entrance, the four chatted.

"Lame, Mabel," Dipper scolded his sister, the last person to admit fault in the massive web of secrecy that had been made, in particular for not telling him about the two.

"I know, but they were so scared, and I didn't want-"

"We weren't scared," Jess assured them, "I was scared when fifteen werewolves were going to eat us. I was nervous with you and Dipper."

"Fine. Nervous," Mabel looked back to her brother and quoted the source directly, "I couldn't get them all down when they looked so helpless."

"Yeah, okay. I just wish we had a chance to meet on better terms," Dipper admitted as he scratched his head, feeling naked without his cap. "Really would have liked to have more a chance to know you guys."

"Yeah!" Jess exclaimed a little loudly, and shrunk slightly, "sorry. I just really agree."

"Keep it toned down, girl," Jace patted her head as he stood up from sitting next to Mabel. "We can stay in touch. We don't carry phones, but we can write to you from where ever we are when we're traveling."

"Sounds good to me," Dipper said.

"Wait," Mabel leapt up too, being the last one sitting, "you're leaving now?"

"We have a creature that can fly at the speed of sound to catch. It's not an easy job," Jace admitted, lowering his hood and lifting the sweater above his head, exposing his bright colorful arrangement, "but as long as we don't frighten him, we should be okay trying to catch it."

"Wow," Dipper sighed, staring at the feathers.

"But- but Jaaaace," Jessandra whined to her brother.

"We need to be going. Mom and dad will kill us if they found out we let anyone else know about this- but they'll pluck us naked if we let it get away! Imagine how big It will get if we let it go all the way to the equator!" Jace told her with warning.

"I... I know," Jess nodded solemnly.

"How do you two track it, anyway?" The siblings glanced to one another. From under their shirts they revealed a metal charm on a necklace. Inside the charm seemed to be a small chipping of some material- a nail or talon.

"This glows red when we're near. It kind of lets us know if we're _hot_ on its trail," Jace leaned over to Mabel, who snorted and pushed his face away with a laugh.

"You're dumb," Jess rolled her eyes as her brother and Mabel laughed together.

"No, you."

"Oh, great comeback, bro. Just make sure to mail that one in, people need to hear about it-"

"Oh shut up, dude," Jace smacked his sister's head, which caused her to squeal angrily and claw at him, climbing onto his back again quickly and pulling on the feathers on his back. "OW! No fair!" Jace yelled as she attacked him.

"Man... do they really need to go?" Mabel asked her brother, who sighed.

He didn't want to admit it, but yes, they did. These two made it rather easy to talk to someone here. Granted, it took an entire day together to learn their secrets, but when Dipper considered how many people he knew, and how many of those people knew the things he did, the fact these two harpies had been able to exchange deeply hidden facts was miraculous.

"I think so, Mabel," Dipper told her with a pat to her shoulder. "We've kept them long enough."

"Getting beaten up by your younger sister," Jessandra stuck her tongue out at Jace, who had just removed her from the assault, but not before losing a few of his colorful feathers. One drifted into the air and Mabel gently caught it. "Oh no," Jessandra spotted Mabel's face grow pink as she looked to the pride-wounded teen.

"Oh no," Dipper mimed as she took two deliberate strides over and landed a kiss against his lips.

"Mabel!"

"Jace!"

The two siblings shouted at their inappropriate scene, as Mabel broke apart from the kiss, beaming.

"Ha! There we go," Mabel grinned to her recipient. To her shock, Jace was still... in shock. "Jace? Did... did you not like it?"

"Uh... I don't- uh-"

"Mabel," Jess piped up while next to Dipper, "Jace is gay."

"What?" Dipper gasped.

"He is!?" Mabel moaned in shame.

"I am?!" Jace demanded. The three turned to look at the feathered teenager. "What? That was my first kiss! I don't know how they do it in high school, but we don't kiss that often when you're taught at home!"

"Are you really gay? And we've been flirting all this time?" Mabel asked sadly, all the hopes of a new, exotic boyfriend washing away like a tidal force of sadness.

"I... uh... I don't know," Jace admitted, "I'm sorry Mabel! JESS!" he rounded on his sister, fire in his eye, "How come you never told me!?"

"Bro... you always played barbies with me when I was eight," she told him.

"Well, you were eight, Jess-"

"I never wanted to play barbies!" she elaborated in force. Jace spluttered and looked between the three of them.

"But... uh... okay..." Jace looked back to Mabel. Without as much as a single warning, he bent to her and kissed her on the lips as she had done. Dipper and Jess groaned again and the two broke. Frowning, Jace turned away, and before Dipper knew what was coming, he too was kissed on the lips.

"OH-" Dipper bent away as he was wiping his mouth, spluttering all over the place, "DUDE!"

"JAAAACE!" Jessandra's boiling red face called for execution of her brother.

Jace wasn't listening to the protesting man or his sister. Instead, a dawning realization was emerging into his mind, shining out his eyes as clearly as a rising sun. He straightened himself up, and stretched his neck.

"Okay. I guess I'm gay," Jace shrugged to Mabel, who nodded back sadly, "hey, we can still be friends though, right?"

"I suppose a little one-sided crush can't hurt," Mabel told Jace, and the two hugged.

At his sisters words, Dipper looked to Jessandra. She seemed shaken by her words, and picked at the hat's rim. Then she noticed his look, and lowered the brim to cover her eyes. Maybe this was the time to let people know now of the impossible. Dipper considered telling her, leading her aside and talking to her about how he understands, and knows where she's coming from. It may be easier that way on her.

"Hey, Jess," Dipper found words from his straining brain, but he was beaten to the punch.

"We should go," Jace broke from the hug, and tapped his sister's shoulder.

"I know," Jess nodded and followed his path, heading towards the backyard, which lead towards the infamous bottomless pit and branched out into the forest.

"Jess," Dipper called out a bit stronger.

"Well guys," Jace turned while walking way, moving backwards, "I don't know if we'll see each other again, but we'll mail you, okay? Postcards! Mail us back if you change homes, okay?"

With a flap of his arms after he tied his sweater to his waist, his great long feathers emerged out, and he lifted into the sky, blowing air and dust off the ground. As he took to the wind, Jess turned around once to the twins.

"We'll see you guys later!" she smiled, and stared at Dipper for a second. "Yes?" she finally answered. There was so much hope, so much excitement and youth behind her gaze.

"Uh... be safe, okay?" Dipper told her with a sad smile.

The young girl beamed and jumped high into the air with a whip of her arms. Rocketing away, the two siblings soared away, leaving behind the human twins. Mabel called and cheered, jumping on her feet as one of the few amicable creatures they had ever met vanished over the horizon.

"Dipper," Mabel said to her brother, "you know... Jess totally has a crush on you."

"I know."

"What?!" Mabel gasped, "she told you? Wait, did you get better at this?!" Mabel gasped again, "you figured it out on your own!?"

"Wendy told me," Dipper admitted sadly.

"Oh... oh, well... if that's the case, why didn't you say anything to her?"

"Like what?" Dipper asked his twin.

"Like... well... like... uh- you know!" Mabel nodded, hoping her lack of an answer solved his need for an answer. Dipper glared at his scatter brained sister, and she relented. "Okay, I don't know."

"I wanted to tell her that I'm too old for her," Dipper admitted, staring into the sky. "If we do meet each other again, it's not like I'll have changed my mind."

"No, I guess not," Mabel agreed, leaning on her sunken feeling brother, "but... maybe it's better if she thinks she has a chance for now."

"... really?" Dipper asked with a trying look.

"I don't know. Hope can be nice to have when your crush is older than you, right?" Mabel told her brother simply. "Like, would you and Wendy still be friends if the second she got the vibe you liked her, she had flat out told you no?"

Dipper was certain he had a response. A good, certain reply to assure himself and her that the two of them would have been friends, certainly. That reply never came. He stood there, his mouth open, hoping for a word to answer for him.

"Maybe... maybe not. I don't know."

"So, maybe now you can work on being friends with her first," Mabel suggested. Dipper sighed. "C'mon bro. We can go chill with Soos and Wendy inside. Oh- we still need to go to City Hall to-"

"I'll be inside in a bit, okay?" Dipper told her.

He wanted to be alone for now. Mabel understood his meaning, and nodded, leaving him outside as she headed for the side door.

Mabel wasn't wrong; Dipper and Jessandra could easily be friends. They thought similarly, acted similarly, and heck, dressed similarly. There was a weight that tugged inside his stomach. Inside his heart.

Dipper expected Jess to understand that he was too old for her. That they should just be friends, and come to understand that. Everything he wanted from her, a plutonic understanding of one another, was everything he didn't want with Wendy. Even his approach, to become friends and then break the news of his knowledge later, was a repeat of Wendy's tactics. It made him mad at himself; he knew that hadn't worked. Case and point: he had a renewed crush on the redhead again- a ridiculous and well kept secret crush.

A painful one.

Knowing how all of this felt, how was it fair of Dipper to ask any of this to Jessandra? Dipper leaned against the wall of the Mystery Manor, his eyes gazing high into the very horizon he had watched his new-found friends vanished to.

* * *

><p>EARLY UPDATE! Truly December is the time of sharing, caring, and gifts! You know why?! Because starting now, each Friday AND Sunday of December will have an update for RtGF! I'm insane!<p>

The reasoning for the extra content is simple- I need to get Season One done ASAP- by the end of December. So before December rolls around to its closing days, we should have a final episode conclusion under the belt. That's right guys, we're almost done with the first season.

So, a bit of a teaser for next chapter, for Sunday:

It's dungeons and dragons.

That is all. ;)

I've been excited to write this chapter for about as long as I realized I was going to write this story, so it's going to be a BLAST. The next two days will vanish because of how fast I'll be churning out this chapter. Fights, magic, rolling dice, and roleplay are coming soon... to your screens!

Speaking of rolling a dice, lets roll for initiative... (EZB pulls out a pair of twenty-D and gives them a shake before dropping them on the desk. They land on two ones.) Ohhhh crud. (Just about every monster known to the DnD universe swarms out of no where and pummels, smashes, devours, burns, and otherwise slays EZB)


	16. Strongholds and Serpents, Part 1

It was the day. Hopefully at least.

This could be the day where Dipper and Mabel finally understood what was really going on here. What was going on in Gravity Falls. After a solid two weeks without a real clue, on the thirteenth day Dipper was about to be called into town hall to receive the demographic data of the town. Finally he would understand, if they were lucky, what was going on. All the twins needed was a name of a person, a company, or event that could have triggered this all. Something.

A lot was riding on this call. All Dipper had done this day was sit on his bed, cross legged, while staring at his phone. It was still morning and all he hadn't even gotten up to eat.

"Dippeerrrrr," Mabel groaned as she did the sixth handstand in a row, bored from sitting around, "c'mon bro, we can totally do something else if we just keep the phone with you. We're sitting around like a bunch of goobers protesting."

"I just want to be there when they call. They said it would be today," Dipper reminded her, "so, I'm just going to play it safe."

"Uggghhh," Mabel landed back, her body bouncing off the springs of her bed noisily as she snarled at the ceiling, "dude, c'mon."

"Mabel, this isn't just our last day, this is our real last chance!"

"We don't know that," Mabel stated strongly, "for all we know this could be one of those things that does take years or whatever to solve."

"Don't say that," Dipper huffed, his eyes flicking between her and the phone nervously, "I'll go full on crazy if this is going to be one of those things that sits by my desk and taunts me ever time I get up for school. Like 'oh, ha-ha, you couldn't get us solved! what a loser!'."

"Well, aside from being a loser," Mabel sneered at her brother, who tossed a pillow at her and she blocked it with great reflexes, "I'm sure there's something we can do for a bit while we wait for the word."

"Like what?"

"I don't know. Is there anything we should have at the ready? Pencils and things?" Mabel scratched her head as she tossed the pillow back to Dipper, who was not paying attention until the white case smacked his nose. "Heh, dweeb."

"Shut up," Dipper glared back at her, containing his smile to a minimum. "Fine, you want to collect pencils for this? Be my guest-"

"You know what I mean," Mabel told him as she scooted her legs over the side of the bed, "maps, pens and pencils, extra papers, those sort of stuff. What if we not only can solve it, but if something bad is happening, we have a chance to fix it? Isn't that worth just getting up for a bit to look around?"

The male twin stared to his counterpart. Her argument was a solid one. It wasn't just going to be a solve and step away mystery. Dipper had a feeling this had something more in it than just a single robot girl who was wandering through town. He and Mabel may have something crazy coming up soon.

"Well... okay," Dipper relented and scooped his phone up and slid it into a pocket. Mabel cheered as she bounded up with her brother.

"Yes! Active involvement wins again!" Mabel roared to the ceiling as she spun around in circles, "okay, I'll go look for supplies, and you find some maps!"

"Okay- just standard supplies though!" Dipper warned her as they left their room together, Mabel bouncing down the stairs in excitement. Dipper followed, and followed his sister into the gift shop, where, as always, two figures awaited, one by the wooden counter, the other cleaning the floor, humming to himself.

"Hey guys," Mabel waved to both as she bounded in, skipping off her feet.

"Hi Mabel, hi Dipper" Wendy stated from behind her magazine.

"Yo hambone," Soos said happily as he reached under a clothing rack with his broom for dust, "whut-up my man?" Soos added when the more quiet Dipper strolled in, looking around the gift shop.

"We're gathering supplies," Mabel answered for her pensive brother. "We're about to crack down on the mystery that's been keeping us here!"

"Huh?" Wendy peeled away 'Teenage Ignoring Techniques: Summer Work Edition' from her face, "wait, the one with the blue thingies?"

"At least we hope so," Dipper acknowledged, "we don't technically have any solid proof that we will, but with some data that the Gravity Falls city council is going to give us, we may be able to pinpoint what the heck is going on."

"Wow," Soos adjusted his had as he looked to Dipper, "that's some crazy data."

"Dipper was staring at his phone for an hour upstairs," Mabel sighed loudly, "and wouldn't budge until I could convince him that we should get stuff ready for the mission."

"Stuff, huh?" Wendy put a hand to her chin, visibly in thought. "You know, I may have a few things that could help."

"You- you would?" Dipper asked.

"Yeah man, I keep some stuff with me just in case," Wendy pulled up her pack, and undid the main pocket. Indeed, inside were a collection of compasses, a scale, a ruler, and a few markers.

"Awesome!" Mabel cheered. "Now all we need are some maps."

"Soos, you know where the maps are that Stan keeps, right?" Wendy checked with her coworker.

"Uh, not really," Soos admitted, picking uncomfortably at the end of his broom. "I mean, it's not something I'm supposed to just go get."

"That's fine," Dipper told his friend, "I can get them from him. Hey... you know," Dipper stopped half way from turning, and coming to a realization with the investigation, "we could totally use some help with this. Wendy, Soos, do you want in on this all?"

"You kidding me?" Wendy quickly bounded off her stool, "I'm in so much you can't even handle me!"

"I... I don't think Mister Pines will mind if I help. Yeah dude!" Soos nodded as well," count me in!"

"THE POSSE IS ASSEMBLED!" Mabel roared with gusto, pointing a finger dramatically skyward.

"Head to the room, we can prepare and label a map when I get them. I'll be up in a minute I think," Dipper told them as he turned towards the kitchen, where he had heard the groaning reply to Mabel's screams.

"ONWARD, FELLOW SOLIDERS!" Mabel declared as she galloped to the stairs, followed by a laughing redhead and an excited man-child. As Dipper rounded the corner to the kitchen, he found his grand uncle sitting by the table, staring out the window with bloodshot eyes, wearing his usual morning garb, stained boxers and a rough undershirt.

"Grunkle Stan," Dipper called from the doorway, peeking his head just a tad through the kitchen doorway, "do you have maps lying around anywhere?"

"Yeah. In the closet by my room. Go knock yourself out- but you touch anything in there you clean it!" Grunkle Stan grumpily nodded his head towards the hallway.

"Thanks!"

Dipper turned away and rushed for the closet. All he needed was three maps- one of Oregon, one of the region, and then one of Gravity Falls. If the closet contained those three specific map types, he would more than good to go. With the journal in tow, there wouldn't be any secret left untouched for them to miss.

The closet door swung open and Dipper groaned. Grunkle Stan knew exactly what kind of state this closet was in when he told him to clean it if he touched it. It was a wreck. Cardboard boxes and wooden crates and broken brooms and plenty of small miscellaneous things scattered the innards of the tiny room. It must have become Grunkle Stans personal dumping ground.

With a contained groan, Dipper began to lift and sort through the unmanaged supplies scattered around the closet. Broken brooms, several old Lil' Gideon memorabilia, a few cease and desist letters, nothing that didn't shock Dipper about his Grand Uncle. Then he saw the maps. Finally. Grabbing the collection of hastily rolled up maps, a cloud of dust struck his nose.

A powerful, yet strangely feminine sneeze erupted from Dipper. He bent forward and banged his knee into a box. It was the catalyst that would lead to exactly what he didn't want- an avalanche of boxes and dusty objects spilling into the hall.

"Clean it up!" Grunkle Stan called from the kitchen, just as Dipper was preparing to tip-toe away from the scene of the crime.

"Okay, okay!" Dipper waved a hand through the air, coughing what inhaled dust he had managed to store in his lungs.

It felt like each thing he lifted up from the pile allowed something else to fall into its place. If a box was lifted, a crate fell into its place. If that crate was lifted, an ugly portrait of a clown fell there. If that creepy clown picture was tossed aside, a vintage game box fell into its place.

"Whoa, whoa," Dipper stalled throwing aside the clown painting so hastily. Eyeing what had just appeared before him, he lowered the weird painting slowly and looked to what was lurking in a closet all this time.

It was first edition. He lifted it with his fingers and blew the dust away from him with a puff. There were inside pieces still intact. The teenager's excitement grew stronger. Then he peeled back the box cover, and his eyes grew so wide he could have been looking at diamonds coated in gold.

To him it was better.

He closed the box, grabbed the maps next to him, and he abandoned the mess. It would be worth to share his excitement now if later Grunkle Stan shouted at him for not cleaning like he said.

His feet rushed up the stairs, too fast to make much noise, and thus his exit was hasty and quiet. He would be sharing this amazing discovery with his friends and sister at any moment. There was his door, and with a few long strides, he opened it, stepped in and closed it behind him with a shut. Soos sat on the floor by Mabel's bed and Wendy by Dipper's as the twin sister bounced on her own bed.

"You think if you hooked them up to a toy car it would run?" Soos asked, holding one of the blue cylinders to his eyes.

"What if that came to life too?" Mabel asked, and then noticed Dipper, "about time, slowpoke."

"Like it animates stuff," Wendy added as Soos and he exchanged a pat with their knuckles, "or maybe it just mechanizes things. Super-crazy."

"Dipper?" Mabel asked as Dipper remained rooted in his spot. The other two turned and stared at him. He stood perfectly upright with exception to his head- crooked down and staring to a box that he held between his hands. The maps fell to the floor and rolled away, entirely unnoticed by Dipper.

"First edition... collectors set... comes with pieces," Dipper was murmuring just loud enough for the others to catch the occasional word. Trance like was the closest thing they could think as he slowly stepped forward, raising the box higher and higher, "the greatest gift the world of nerds has ever been gifted, the test of a dork, the courage of geeks, the greatest game someone with imagination can have!"

"Blockcraft?" Soos asked. Dipper shook his head like he were in a dream, distant and blissful.

"Strongholds and Serpents."

Dipper said this as he fell to his knees before Soos, Wendy, and Mabel; who had just left the bed and come to complete the circle. The box was impressive, but dated. The cover image was a great classic drawing of four figures, a swordsman with a shield in full armor, a wizard with a staff, an elf with a bow, and a dwarf with a large battle hammer, all circled around a dangerous and scary looking horned serpent. All their attention was focused on the beast, and they seemed to be standing on piles of gold, treasure and embroidered weaponry.

"Whoa," Soos said in a slow release of breath, "where was this dude?"

"What is it?" Wendy and Mabel both asked. Soos and Dipper responded as if their question was a heretical statement punishable by death: both spluttered and re-phrased their question.

"It's the single greatest game to ever be made," Dipper rushed out of his mouth, "it's revered as one of the most complex and life-changing games that basement dwellers can enjoy!"

"Basement dwellers?" Mabel repeated.

"To play the game is to live another life, to experience things you could never in your own, to be great and ignore the pathetic sad soulless existence you currently have," Soos told them with excitement.

"Sad soulless existence?" Wendy also repeated, sounding a little hurt at the comment.

"We need to play!" Dipper removed the cover and began to remove pieces and papers and all manners of tools.

"Whoa, whoa, I never played games like, uh, whatever that is," Wendy pointed to a series of small figurines on flat circle stands, "okay, but that dude with the axes looks awesome."

"Dipper, you can't get girls to do nerdy stuff like this," Mabel told his brother as a statement of life that everyone already knew, "c'mon bro. This sort of thing is better for your school friends."

"I got into this in freshmen year," Dipper started, "and there were girls playing!"

"I bet nerd-girls," Mabel snickered.

"Like you care," Dipper eyed her critically.

"Not one bit," Mabel defended her honor as a unbiased lover of all walks of life.

"Prove it then," Dipper told her, sliding over a robed woman with a staff over to her, "join the game." Mabel eyed the small object, lifting it up to her eyes, and then eyed dipper.

"Only if Wendy joins," Mabel pointed out, "I need another woman to agree with me if stupid boys only stuff happens."

"What does that even- okay," Dipper turned to the Redhead, who was puzzling and looking at the figure of the axe-warrior, "what do you say Wendy?" she looked to him, tossing the figurine in the air playfully. "You want to give it a shot?" he asked, trying to remain calm as he prayed he had a chance to play this game with his crush.

"...well, how does the whole game work?" Wendy eyed the multitude of pages and papers that lay by Dipper's knees. "It kind of looks like there are a lot of rules."

"There are- but," Dipper cut Wendy and Mabel short of their expected sighs, "you won't have to worry about that. I'll be the Stronghold lord, which is sort of like the referee. I help dictate the game and tell the story, and I'll let you know when you can't do something."

"Uh... okay?" Wendy smiled and shrugged, "sure. I'm in."

"Yes!" Dipper cheered loudly, and felt his heart race, reminding him of his need for secrecy, "ah, okay. So, here are character sheets," Dipper folded through the papers and handed out three pages, "follow the instructions and use a dice... here," he handed a pair of twenty sided dice to each of them, "you roll to create your stat choices."

"What?" Mabel whined, holding the dice in her palm like they might have been diseased and toxic looking spiders, "what does any of that mean?"

The process of explaining to Mabel and Wendy was a slow start. As each numeric value to their characters was decided by a roll of a pair of dice, there was a lot of complaining and whining for low scores. But as soon as Dipper introduced the concept of perks- abilities characters could choose based on status advantage or disadvantage, they were more interested.

As the four sat around, comparing notes and ideas, Dipper wrote a story. It would be a repeat from the one he had in school, a story of a tri-fold of kingdoms about to collapse into war. The heroes would be walking through the most trying time of the kingdoms before all out bloodshed came to pass. It would be up to the heroes to decide who would come to stand triumphant and lead the new kingdom- the Human kingdom, the Orc Kingdom, or the rebels society. Dipper would be easy on them. Unless they really tested his patience without cause, he would make sure they enjoyed their time.

"Okay, so, are we ready to begin?" Dipper asked around as he had set up his little crude world maps, back stories, and several battle maps for the actual fight encounters he was going to go through. The three nodded. "So, since I am Stronghold Lord, I can't play. But I will be telling you guys what's happening. You guys read the rules right?"

"Yeah dawg."

"Sure did dude."

"Not one bit Dippingsauce."

"Two out of three isn't bad," Dipper shrugged, perfectly content with his sister blowing over the rules, like usual. "So, let's begin."

Dipper cleared his throat, and adopted a mysterious appearance, eyes half way between menacing and understanding.

"It is the fourth Era of Nudolin, land of the far north. Summer is upon the Kingdom of Nith, the great human lands that dominate the northern continent. However, rumor spreads that the Orc king Geklar is preparing for war, for the forces of the Nith have tormented and abused the once great kinship of the Orcs to the point of greater conflict. The King of Nith, known as Herlis, is a cruel man."

"Three adventurers from distant lands approach one another on an empty road, uncertain of their futures or their goals, but ready to explore and discover the future for their wealth, their spirit, or their honor. Great adventurers, please introduce yourselves on the road," Dipper nodded to Soos, "It would be rude to walk along the road at the same time without knowing one another."

"Oh, me, huh?" Soos asked Dipper, who sighed and nodded. "Well, I'm Soos, of Mission Soos."

"You named your character Soos?" Dipper inquired.

"Yeah dude. I mean, I didn't know what else to name him, so I just went with that," Soos told Dipper, growing worried, "I didn't mess anything up, did I?"

"No, it's okay," Dipper assured him with a pat on the shoulder, "anyway, keep introducing yourself."

"Oh. I'm a, uh, Paladin, with a focus on repairing mechanical stuff. I wear a lot of heavy armor and stuff. Pretty awesome."

"He also has a tower shield and a 'spear that's sharp end looks like a wrench'," Dipper told the others when Soos failed to mention his war tools, "huh. Okay. Who next?"

"I'll go, sure," Wendy nodded, "So, I'm the mysterious and wanted Red Phantom, a ranger with some awesome red leather jackets and stuff with a bandana over my mouth. I'm half-elf so I can do awesome jumpy things, and I got a bow and arrow, along with these awesome axes I can mess fools up with."

Dipper stared at her as she spoke in her first attempt in character. It was almost enough to drool over; his crush going into the mind of the game and not hating it was a fantasy all on its own. He sighed as Wendy saluted to Soos and Mabel, and then continued to speak in character.

"Well met, Soos," Wendy nodded, and looked to Mabel, "and you? Who might you be, man?"

"Oh! My turn?" Mabel snickered, and looked to her sheet. Dipper knew something ridiculous was about to come, but was entirely unprepared for her. "Greetings! I am Magnanimously Magnificent Masterfully Malleably Mendable Mabel the fourth, esquire: Druid and cute animal lover extraordinary!"

The three stared at Mabel, their mouths open as shock flowed through them. That was one heck of a name.

"Greetings Magnum Magistrate Master Mustard Manor Magnifying Mabel," Soos stated proudly, "I am Soos!"

"Hi Soos!" Mabel chuckled, "you can just call me Mabel!"

"You two know the point of this game is to live a life that you don't have, right? So using your name is kind of-"

"I AM MAGNANIMOUSLY MAGNIFICENT MASTERFULLY MALLEAVLY MENDABLE MABEL THE FOURTH, ESQUIRE!" Mabel demanded at the top of her lungs, a proud and dangerous foe to be crossed. Dipper sighed and nodded.

"Okay, fine M.M.M.M.M.M.," Dipper abbreviated her title.

"Fourth, esquire, if you please," Mabel added at the end of the introduction.

"Okay!" Dipper cried to the air in exasperation, "okay. So, you three are walking down the road. This is the one of few highways that leads all the way from the central continent to the northlands of Nudolin."

"I would like to tell Wendy- err, the Red Phantom," Mabel turned to Wendy," that her hair and outfit goes great together. Really stylish."

"Phantom?" Dipper asked Wendy.

"Oh, thanks!" Wendy smiled and laughed. Dipper couldn't help but grin as well- this wasn't going so badly as he thought it would.

"Because of Mabel's pleasant words of encouragement, the party is slightly more enervated and happy to be around one another. You all receive a plus one bonus towards your spirit," Dipper announced.

"Whoa!" Soos gasped and scribbled down a small plus one on his character sheet. "Sweet dude!"

"I'm going to be nice all the time!" Mabel declared as she and Wendy also added points to their character sheets.

"As the three of you chat animatedly to one another, sharing some of your immediate past to further introduce yourselves," Dipper informs them as he reaches down and lifts a pair of three colored twenty sided dice, and begins to shake them in his palm, "you see a village in the distance. Okay guys, time to find out how this story really begins."

Dipper turned his palm over, and he watched the three dice spin and roll against the ground. One quickly landed on one. That wasn't very good. The lower the score, the harder the start will be. Then the second landed on one as well. Yikes. The village wouldn't be kind to his friends, even if he tried being nice, it would, unless they scored a ten, be mostly hostile to them. Then the third one landed. Also a one.

"Ohhhh dang," Dipper put a hand to his eyes, "sorry guys."

"Huh?" Mabel asked, "did you fart?"

"What!? No!" Dipper spluttered, "I rolled a really, really bad start for the story."

"Awww, really man?" Wendy asked, sighing, "so it's going to be a crash course in this game?"

"Well, no. I can just re-roll. It's just a game, after all," Dipper told them with a half grin. He reached to grab the dice.

They slid away from his hand.

No one breathed for a moment. Had what they just saw happened? Dipper reached forward again, and the three dice slid away further, clustering together.

Three ones was the worst possible outcome for a story. The lowest of all possible starts.

The dice began to rattle and shake, possessed with the will to tremble and bind their unseen energy inside their plastic form. Then a blue glow surrounded them, and the four gasped and cried out as the three dice floated into the air. The began to spin: slowly at first, but rotated faster and faster until they were a blur of blue aura and a black spin. The single dot signifying the 'one' side became prominent no matter which side you looked at it from.

"What the flying fu-" Dipper began, but a new sound interrupted him.

The whirring of the spinning dice grew louder. They were practically rubbing against one another, a collected vibration of unknown energy. Then they began to drift apart- the top dice moving directly upwards and the other two at angles down and away. Yet as they separated, the dark line that they formed stretched and elongated between them, creating three equal length lines forming a shape.

Laughter. Mad, insane, excited laughter filled the air as the three dice formed into a two-dimensional shape. A yellow triangle.

"Oh no," Mabel gasped.

"Ohhhhh yeeaaah!" The laughing voice answered as an eye slowly opened in the center of the yellow triangle. The whirring stopped as the shape fully formed, and then a bow-tie, a top-hat, and a cane all appeared with the triangle, along with pencil line-thin arms and legs. "BILLS BACK BABY!"

"Cipher!" Dipper stood up quickly, backing away along with everyone else. Dipper then noticed that the state of the world they were in had changed. No longer did the colors of the universe hit him, but the shapes and forms of the room around them were now grey-scale. They were in a pocket universe- one of Bill Cipher's little tricks.

"Well, well, well," Cipher floated around, getting a view of each of the four, "Biggy, Shooting Star, Red, and Pine Tree," Bill Cipher lingered on his identification of Dipper, "wow, it's been a while since we've seen each other, hasn't it? Must have been, I don't know, seventeen millennia?"

"Three years, stupid," Mabel told the triangle, "but I think we wish it was seventeen millennia."

"Oh, well, I guess that's the difference of passing time from the universe you two banished me to from this one," Cipher turned to Mabel, his eyes glowering at her. "Better than playing with tweezers all day. Unless they were laser tweezers!"

"What do you want?" Wendy asked, the one with the least amount of involvement with this creature. Bill rounded on her next, but paused and stared.

"Hm. You seem different from the last time I saw you. What did you do? Change your hairstyle? Drink the blood of the innocent and naive?" Bill examined the redhead, who tried swatting the creature away, and he floated backwards. "Maybe a question after our little business."

"What business?" Dipper demanded, "we didn't ask anything from you!"

"No, but that's what you get when you play with a cursed game," Bill mentioned, pointing to the collection of pieces and dice below him. Dipper groaned and slapped his head. Of course there would be a cursed game like this just lying around in the Mystery Manor. There was always something so innocent and mundane that turned into something dangerous and life threatening. "The thing decided to bust me out of my cell and bring me here. Classic cursed objects. A riot! Am I right? Right?"

"Well dude, maybe if you were a bit cooler with yourself," Soos pointed out, "you'd get invited to these kinds of games."

"Games?! HA! A quatro of nerds rolling dices on the floor to something that doesn't exist?! Actually sounds like fun," Bill Cipher switched tracks immediately, but laughed, "but why pretend? We can impale naked people on spikes anytime we want to when I'm around! So lets get fun started."

"What?" Dipper asked worriedly.

"You see Pine Tree, I can see into that monkey head of yours and I see those questions burning away at your seconds. What are they?" Bill Cipher conjured an image of the cylinders by the desk, frozen in time. "And I can point you in the right step."

"Why would you want to do that?" Dipper argued as the images before them evaporated.

"Yeah! You tried destroying the portal, and _us_, last time we met!" Mabel reminded him.

"What? It's just business," Cipher shrugged with his thin black arms. "But down to the fun part- here, how about a trip down memory lane?" Bill pointed a finger at Dipper, and a bolt of white lightning blasted forth and struck Dipper. The teenager gasped as he felt it illuminate his entire body, but after he blinked, he realized he was shorter.

"Dipper!" Wendy gasped as Mabel giggled.

"Aww, he's all twelve again!" Mabel pointed.

Indeed, Dipper looked exactly like he had three years ago, shorter with rounder cheeks and his blue cap restored to his head. Dipper growled, but allowed his mind to retaliate, thinking of his standard look and he returned to his normal age's appearance.

"Aw, not one for nostalgia?" Cipher asked.

"Not involving you. Now, tell us what you want, or we can play a game of Mind-war," Dipper threatened the triangle.

"Fine, fine, fine. So, your neat little rod back there? Your cursed game decided I would be your best threat. So, we play this game together. If you beat me, I help you with the secret and let you go. Boring, safe, predictable. Ugh. Makes me want to puke one-dimensionally."

"...okay, and if we lose?" Dipper asked, worried to be revealed this answer.

"Then... hm. Let's say you all die and I get to walk away with one of your bodies and can come back to the world of the material. Sound good?" Bill asked, nodding with a bend of his top point.

"No!" The twins instantly replied.

"Too bad! You rolled the dice! So, either we sit here, getting angry at one another forever, which sounds a lot of fun guys," Bill Cipher reminded them, "or we can get this show rolling. All I need is, "he turned to Dipper, and extended his hand, which burst into blue fire, "a handshake."

"You can go suck a knob," Dipper told him, and Bill roared with laughter.

"I eat KNOBS LIKE YOU FOR BREAKFAST, KID," Bill's size grew immensely, his eyes bloodshot and red, his voice magnified and horribly deep. Then he returned to his normal size, his hand still outstretched, "so, what do you say? You're not afraid to lose to an isosceles, are you?"

The four looked to one another. Just like them to find some way of turning a fun game into a possible fight for survival. Then again, they had bested Cipher before. Three times had the twins met against this demon, and three times they had come out victorious- although the last chance was barely a win. Their victory came at the cost of their Grunkle using the portal for his intended purpose.

It wasn't just the twins though. They were four. Older, wiser, smarter, and stronger than their last encounter. Bill Cipher didn't have a chance. The four nodded to one another, and Dipper extended his arm.

"That's right... well, let's not keep the folk in Dilhedreek village waiting! Oh, and Pine Tree," Cipher grasped onto Dipper's arm suddenly, clutching tightly," you're coming with me. You better grab one of those character sheet thingies! You're in for a bumpy ride!"

"What?!" Dipper shouted.

"Can't have them with a helper! You're in on this too, kid!" Bill Cipher began to fly upwards. The ceiling above them the walls itself, everything that was the attic room the twins lived in, fell away and crumbled into shreds of paper, dissolving and crumbling into fabric of existence. As he ascended, Dipper was tugged along with him.

"Dipper!" Mabel and Wendy shouted.

"Hey! Bring back our Stronghold Lord!" Soos shouted as Cipher and Dipper burst into extremely fast flight, soaring away with a blast of light that expanded and eventually grew so bright the three remaining behind had to cover their eyes.

When they opened them again, they were no longer in Oregon.

They were no longer on Earth.

It was no longer summer.

They were no longer themselves.

Snow fell around them. The air was drier, windier, and had trees growing by the side of the road so tall it made redwood trees look like babies in comparison.

The three looked to themselves first, examining their new properties. Soos certainly was still tall, but now was towering over the other two. His shoulders were wider, more muscular, and toned out. A massive shield, christened on the front with a red wrench, a golden screw driver, and a fist with a 'thumbs up' shone in silver on the front. Not only that, his large, shining armor was angled and box-like, and behind his tower shield was a spear-like weapon, with a sharpened wrench-head for a point.

Mabel was looking at her robes. A large piece of patchwork and stitches, she seemed to be covered in stickers and miss-matched logos from various unknown places and organizations of fantasy look. She still had her basic look, but her tongue quickly realized- she no longer had braces.

"Yes!" She cheered, rubbing her teeth happily. Mabel gave her staff a spin for amusement- it was made of wood that had grown and expanded into a staff- at the end rested a pigs face on a stone that the living limbs of the staff had carefully rapped around.

"Okay, this is kind of cool, actually," Wendy's voice added to this. Soos and Mabel turned and they gasped.

Wendy had never needed to look any better than she already did. Fit, conditioned, and active, the girl was a great example of genetics and lifestyle working hand in hand to make a great image of the human body, even if she was a tad bit on the skinny side.

Now she was tall, her red hair shined in the light like it were a rare jewel just like her eyes, and she had two pointed ears jutting out of the sides. Her pale skin was mostly covered in leather armor, tailored to her and only her. A pair of coat-tails fell past her back. Even her pants, a fabric and animal pelt construction, seemed tailored to her. Resting on her mouth, as she had planned, was black bandanna, which she pulled to her neck to speak.

"I feel like I'm robin hood," Wendy admitted, checking herself out.

"So I guess aside from the fact that we're going to be fighting for our lives," Mabel told the other two, grabbing them by the shoulders and pulling them close, "this could have been a lot worse! Poinng!" Mabel flicked Wendy's tall ear.

"Oh, dude, don't do that. It feels way weird," Wendy admitted with a shudder.

"So... we should be going, right?" Soos asked while in the group hug.

Before the two ladies could answer, there was a loud whinny of a horse. A split second later, a line of horses, armored and ridden by soldiers of thick armor, blasted past the three, nearly knocking them off their feet and onto the road.

"Hey!" Mabel cried as they filed past, "watch it!"

The soldiers ignored them. As the procession of soldiers on horseback trotted past, the three adventurers watched their destination. A small signed labeled the village they were walking towards, and a castle that was behind that, towering over the trees.

"Castle Dilhedreek," Wendy said aloud as she read the sign from a distance. "Isn't that where Dipper was going to have us go?"

"I guess we should try to follow the story," Soos suggested, "so, to the village?"

"To the village!" Mabel pointed forward with her staff, and on her first step tripped over her robes. After slamming her face into the dirt, she rose up, cradling her nose. "Ow. Healing spell would be nice," she told them as she waved her staff in front of her face, and a faint light shone on her face, warn to the touch and truly mending her scratched nose. "Much better."

"How did you..." Soos started, but Mabel shrugged.

"Just try it yourself. I don't know, create light or something, mister holy warrior," Mabel told Soos. The tall man nervously looked at his hands, and at the will of his mind, light indeed shot out towards the ground, searing a bit of earth.

"Wow! Cool!" Soos nodded, accepting his gift.

"Shall we?" Mabel asked a shaky sigh.

"Lets go," Wendy told the other two with a pat of her arms, sliding between the two of them to lead.

Walking down the road after the horsemen was rather loud. Wendy's two axes clattered against the belt buckles they were tied to around her hip, and while Mabel was quiet, Soos made a racket with his armor, clanging and clattering away with the spear and shield. His echoing sounds shook the air as they reached the town edge, where farmers, tradesmen, and all manners of people walked around them.

They all seemed dirty and dressed better for the weather than the three newcomers, even though Mabel, Soos, and Wendy didn't feel any of the cold. The buildings were crude-looking European based constructs, two stories tall and tightly locked together. Mabel wondered if cursed wax-figure Shakespeare would walk out of one of the many alleyways that surrounded them.

"Excuse me," Wendy asked a passing by well-dressed couple, "we're looking for a-"

"Leave me be!" the woman shouted, swatting Wendy's outstretched hand.

"Hey!"

"We have no business with the likes of you!" the woman told her, sticking her nose into the air as she passed.

"Wow. Discrimination is strong here," Wendy huffed, pulling her bandana up to her mouth, "maybe an arrow in her leg would... ugh. You guys take lead on this one."

"I think Soos should," Mabel suggested, "he's a paladin, which mean people know he's a good guy, and Soos is nice anyway!"

"Ah, thanks Mabel," Soos smiled.

He took to the front, and headed towards a market stall, where a poacher was selling his meats and pelts.

"Sup dude," Soos waved his hand, "I'm Soos, of Mission Soos. I was hoping you could help us out with a pointer or something."

"Hm... 'A pointer or something', Soos of Soos," the man behind the table repeated, "perhaps. What brings you to this town?"

"Uh... good tidings and food, dude," Soos tried. The man gave a bellow of a laugh, but nodded.

"Ah. Ask away my friend. We welcome those with good intent here; for merriment and mirth have long abandoned these times," the poacher told them darkly.

"What gives? Someone being a stinker around here?" Mabel asked, stepping next to Soos. Behind them, Wendy had removed her axes from the belt, and was playing with them, twirling them and spinning them around her body like batons.

"Our king is... well, repeat not what you have heard," the man demanded of Mabel and Soos, "but with the death of our late King, the spoiled prince Herlis has decided that it is not only popular to abuse and criticize non-humans, but made it law. We have lost many friends and families because of his damned orc-hatred."

"So he's a racist," Wendy snorted behind them, having put away his axes and now was playing with her bow, "explains the popularity."

"Why hasn't anyone stopped him?" Mabel demanded.

"He uses a group of enchanters, lead by one 'Dipperthur the Wise', whom he forced into service with his men," the poacher added, the three exchanging a look with the title, "to enchant his best men with magical weaponry."

"So no one can fight back, huh?" Soos nodded, "sounds rough, dawg."

"Indeed it is, dawg," the poached nodded back.

A commotion was building behind them. A cluster of peasants ran into Wendy, who expertly stayed on her feet, but growled at them as they moved on, not a word to her.

"People these days," Wendy snarled.

"What is going on, friend Alastor?" the poacher called past the group. An older man, of greying hair and strong scarring on his face paused, turning to the seller.

"The great enchanter now refuses to cast spells for the kings men! He is to be executed immediately!" the man told him and turned. The poacher gasped, and abandoned his post, quickly running with the gathering crowd towards the castle.

"Dipperthur? The Wise?" Mabel gulped as she realized that they weren't just going to kill any old fart of a wizard. Her brother was on death row. "Let's go!"

The thee also headed off, pushing past people to get a better view of the executioners block. nearby the walls to the castle was a small hill made of stone and brick. Atop it was a basket and thick, bloody wooden block. Soldiers were around the base of the hill and atop it, armed and sinister looking. As the three pushed their way towards the front of the crowd, they spotted a trio of men walking forward.

A tall soldier in armor of the same design as the men around him was pushing a purple clad young man brown eyes scanning around the crowd. He seemed nervous and confused. Ironic, considering he was supposed to be the Stronghold Lord.

"Dipper!" Mabel shouted, barely louder than the surrounding crowd. Dipper's hearing instantly detected her, and whipped his head to see her, slightly to the right of his destination. Behind the two men was a larger, taller man all in black. His face was concealed and was holding a massive crude axe. An executioner.

"Mabel!" he called back, and was shoved ahead. A majority of the viewers laughed at his stumble as he fell forward.

"That's not funny!" Mabel shouted to the crowd. She was one in hundreds- they did not hear her nor care to hear her. This was a show to them. "We need to get him out of there!"

"Yeah we do!" Soos nodded. "If we rush in, do you think we could... Wendy?" Soos looked around with Mabel.

She was gone.

"Well, her name is 'Red Phantom'," Mabel shrugged, "you don't think she's going to get into trouble, do you?"

Such dramatic an answer had never come to Mabel before.

As Dipper was pushed to stand before the butcher block, an arrow struck the executioners chest. The crowd gasped and someone screamed as he fell to the ground, dropping the weapon. Before the head guardsmen could draw his sword, another arrow whipped past Dipper's head and struck the man in the neck. Dipper was alone, and guards were rushing to get him.

"Look!" Soos pointed.

Wendy had just leapt from a rooftop. Soaring through the air, her red billowing hair cut through the cloudy sky like a bloody blade would through flesh. She landed atop one soldier, slamming him into the ground with a crushing blow to his neck. Two nearby soldiers turned and charged her. It was their last mistake, as she easily weaved and dodged each of their swings, and after letting them get away with three attacks each, she removed her axes.

Strike after strike with her hatchets met against their skin, bone, armor. They were torn apart in three strikes each.

"Dang," Dipper's voice echoed from the butchers block.

An axe in each arm, she approached Dipper, now surrounded by the guardsmen who were all focused on Wendy.

"For mission SOOS!" Soos cried, raised his shield, and charged forth from the crowd. A great bright light was cast around him, and he slammed into the first soldier he could, the light zapping him like an electrical current. He was now also in the fray, swinging around his spear with one hand while Wendy juggled her attention between several fighters as well.

"I think this image needs... birds," Mabel nodded, and lifter her hands to the sky with her staff. Crows, ravens, and several doves began to circle the battle in front of her. With a swipe of her arms, she lowered her hands and directed the airborne animal allies towards the enemy. "Get 'em! Geeet 'em!"

Birds slammed into the armored guards, pecking and clawing and tearing at their faces, necks, fingers, whatever they could get their beats and talons into. Soos and Wendy grabbed Dipper in the confusion and headed through the crowd, Soos acting like a battering ram for anyone who didn't move out of the way quick enough.

"Guys! That was amazing!" Dipper told them as he ran alongside with them.

"Thanks! Where's Cipher?" Mabel asked as they rounded a corner. Above their heads the sounds of trumpets blasted high into the cold sky.

"He's gone! He headed off as soon as he established where I was," Dipper angrily shouted, "but I bet you he'll be around!"

"So, not to distract us from the problem of getting home, but I think we should be leaving town guys," Wendy added, coming to a stop with them by a stables. "Can anyone lockpick?"

"I got this," Dipper stepped past them hurriedly, as the sounds of more approaching guards grew louder. With a wave of his hand by the lock, the door slid open. "Ladies first," he bowed to Wendy, who grinned and ruffled his hair as she passed. She must have had magic cast on her, because a jolt of energy shot through his back and trembled with joy.

"Bro," Mabel followed Soos, "you okay?" she asked suspiciously.

"Yeah. I never thought I'd get a chance to play this for real, you know?" he nudged Mabel's shoulder, beaming with excitement.

"You almost had your head chopped off."

"All part of the game," Dipper snorted to himself as he found a horse to his liking. He truthfully had no idea how to ride it, just like he had no idea how he had cast the spell, but it came to him as muscle memory. "Now, let's get out of here!"

The four burst from the stables, nearly trampling a few guards that had spotted them inside. With another spell, Dipper blasted the ground behind them with ice, leaving a shimmering trail of frozen, unwalkable earth. Guards slipped and fell, sliding all over the place as the teenager laughed. Once you got over the premise of death, this all really was cool.

"So, Dipper," Wendy called over the beating hoofs of the horses, "how do we win the game?"

"I'm... well, in the story, or the campaign," Dipper elaborated, "you have to complete an objective. The objective of this story was to establish peace however you can to the land."

"Do we have a plan?" Wendy asked him as his horse caught up with hers.

"Yeah we do. Dipperthur the Wise totally has a plan. You see, just to the south, down this road, should be a huge camp for an Orc army. They want to take these guys out, and if we help them it should be a quick victory for us!" Dipper explained to the others, the sights of the village and castle leaving them.

"Great. And they'll be okay with us?" Soos asked, "because I don't know if Orcs are chill or not."

"They are. As long as you let them know you're friendly before they go running at the enemy in their bloodlust," Dipper told them, "they'll give anyone a listen. Otherwise they'll just try to kill you."

"Oh, well that's good," Soos nodded in confidence, "then we just need to meet them before they storm the castle."

"Hey, do you guys hear something?" Mabel asked, peering far ahead.

The four horses came to a stop. Far ahead, just at the edge of vision of the long, winding road, was a moving cluster. Something bounding and running. Snarling and roaring. Biting and gnashing.

Green skin and thick, well made armor, strong weapons and siege tools; all manners of Orcish made things were rushing down the road, bellowing a war cry unlike the four adventurers had yet to hear in their life.

"So, I'm going to say that sounds like a bloodlust-y kind of cry," Mabel nodded worriedly as the other three stared in terror, "right? That sounds bloodlust-y?" Dipper nodded slowly to his sister, and she nodded back. "So much for making friends."

The Orc army had come.

* * *

><p>I say 'JUMAN', you say 'JI'! Ready?<p>

JUMAN-

JUMAN-

JUMAN-

... what? Nineties kids will get it. XD

I bet some of you guys got worried, like I was going write an entire story about how the gang actually sit down and enjoy a standard game of Dungeons and Dragons. Not saying I could do it perfectly, but this ain't that kinda story suckas. Next time, we see how four adventurers can cope with a huge battle outside a castle.

Remember to review! I'll spoil something if you ask nicely! ;) (A huge angry orc burst down EZB's door, a large metal mace in his hand and a spray can of mace in the other) Oh no! It's the spoiler police!

Orc Spoiler Cop: STOP RIGHT THERE CRIMINAL SCUM! (Beats EZB and sprays his face with Mace)


End file.
